Cupcakes are quick and versatile alternatives to making a cake.
  A cupcake can be simply decorated with sprinkles or transformed into an animal, face, or flower.
  Cupcakes are suitable for garden parties, birthday parties, weddings and any other special occasion.
  Following are some ideas and cake decorating tips for your next cupcake event.
Cupcake flavors - The joy of cupcakes is that you can present your guests with a selection of flavors and textures.
  Do you want a plain vanilla cake, chocolate, lemon, almond, banana or carrot spice cake? Cupcake shape - Cupcakes don't have to be round.
Cake pans and baking cups come in different shapes, such as hearts, stars and flowers.
Frosting Flavors - There are many options beyond a dash of vanilla essence, for example: chocolate, lemon, cream cheese, and strawberry.
Frosting color - There is a wide range of colors to choose from.
  You can go for a white palette, peaceful pastels, or brilliant bold colors.
  Your color will be influenced by the overall decorating theme and the flavor of the cake.
Frosting Style - Quick methods of icing cupcakes are dipping into thin buttercream, poured fondant, or ganache.
  You can spread buttercream on each cake with a spatula.
  With a little more effort you can create a decadent peaked spiral of buttercream using a decorating bag with a ¼ inch star tip.
  Another option, but requiring more time, is encasing each cupcake with rolled fondant.
Filling - You may want to surprise your guests with a filling injected into the top of each cupcake with a dessert decorator.
  Some filling ideas are chocolate, lemon, peanut butter, or fruit jam.
Decorations - Decorating is probably the most fun part of cupcake design and of course may influence your other choices.
  If you haven't done so lately, browse through recent baking magazines and cupcake books for cake decorating tips.
  There are ideas specifically designed for cupcakes.
  For example, each cupcake can be a face - perhaps a clown face or an animal face.
You can design each cupcake to look like a flower, such as a rose or a daisy.
  You can create an animal by attaching a fondant head and tail.
  There are many possibilities including these other options:

• Buttercream flowers, borders and texturing.
  
• Fondant flowers, ribbons, and garlands.
  
• Sprinkling with sparkly candies, chocolate, nuts, etc.
  
• Using colors and symbols linked to the holiday event.
  

Display - Cupcakes can be simply presented on plates, but you can also use an elegant dessert stand or cake pedestal.
  Another option is to create or purchase a theme tableau, such as a cupcake train.
When you are looking for new ideas - If you are wanting to do something special, but feel "blocked" consider this cake decorating tip:  Go shopping!  Go to bulk food stores and candy shops, look through cupcake books at the bookstore, visit your favorite bakery, arts and crafts store, and cake decorating supply store.
  You will certainly find new colors, foods, techniques, and tools that you will want to try.