Butterfly Naming Day Cakes

This weekend I had two very girly cake orders, which are always a lot of fun to make. The first of which were naming day butterfly cupcakes, with a larger cake to go on top with the girl's name. The cupcakes were strawberry flavoured, with a tasty cream cheese icing that was tinted light green, and the cake was vanilla bean and tinted with different shades of pink for a fun surprise when sliced. 

I absolutely loved the look of these cupcakes, and once you get the hang of it the butterflies are pretty simple to make! Here is the way I went about making the butterflies:

Candy Melt Monarch Butterflies

200g candy melts (colour of choice - or white chocolate)

100g black candy melts (or dark chocolate)

White sprinkles (optional)

1.  Before making, cut out individual squares of baking paper (a little larger than the size of one butterfly wing), and draw the outline of the wing on one sheet.

2.  With the remaining squares, trace the rest of the wings, remembering to alternate the sides so that the wings aren't all pointing to the same side.

3.  Melt each colour of candy melts separately, but be careful not to overheat. I did this by placing them in a mug and microwaving 10 seconds at a time. If you think the melts are too thick then you can add a little bit of shortening (or vegetable oil) to make it runnier.

4.  Pour into a piping bag fitted with a small plain round tip (or a sandwich bag with a small hole snipped from the corner).

5.  Place one square of baking paper onto a flat baking tray (drawn side down) and pipe the outline of the wing in black, followed by the coloured inside. Leave a few millimeters between the black and the colour as they will spread together.

6.  Gently tap the baking tray down on the bench until the candy melts have spread together and no gaps remain. Before the candy sets hard, use a toothpick or skewer to quickly draw lines from the black of the wing in to the colour (wiping down with a paper towel when needed) and, if using, add the sprinkles to the black edge. Tap the baking tray on the bench again to make sure the wing has a nice smooth surface.

7.  Repeat with the rest of the wings (you may want to get comfy as it can take a while) and allow the butterflies to set in the fridge.

8.  Once set, place into iced cupcakes at a 45º angle, and pipe some melted chocolate or candy melts down the middle for the butterfly's body.

I definitely recommend a lot of patience when making these butterflies, as you can expect a few messy ones before you develop a rhythm. It can be a bit frustrating when the weather is cold as you may need to remelt your chocolate a few times throughout making to keep it runny - and I need to top my baking tray with a tea towel as it was too cold and making the butterflies set too quickly.