How To 'Make' Soap Cupcakes

created on: 11/18/08

I love the idea of making soap but am totally scared off by the complex-science-molten-fat part. These cupcakes are super easy to do, as technically you reshape soap as opposed to making it.

Before we start I have to say that I know the 'icing' on these is pretty lame, certainly no Bakerella creation, but that is more to do with me than the technique. I am infamously horrible at cake decoration. Every cupcake I've ever made has looked like it was iced by an angry drunken chimp. Really, if you have opposable thumbs you could do a better job than this.

Anyway, here's what you'll need to make your own soap cupcake

  • 1 few bars of soap;I used ivory, 'cause we happened to have some kicking around and a red glycerin-based soap for the 'icing'.
  • a microwavable bowl
  • moulds, I used teeny weeny quiche tins...
  • a cheese grater
  • a spatula
  • some oatmeal (optional)

So first you'll need to grate up your soap, it needs to be fine but not too fine, I think that the next time I would do actually go finer than this. one bar makes about 4 cupcakes (with oatmeal)

created on: 11/18/08

once your soap is grated add a little bit of oatmeal at a time, mixing it in as you go. A little goes a long way, stop when you think it looks right.

created on: 11/18/08

Add a bit of water, you want just enough to make the mixture moist but not enough to make it drippy. Give a good old stir, it should look something like this:

created on: 11/18/08

Now you need to prep your moulds,  you'll need to VERY LIGHTLY grease them, it's like my Grandma says about vermouth in a martini 'Just wave the bottle over it', which means the tiniest spray of cooking oil or a speck of oil spread with a finger.

Time to nuke it! Pop the bowl in the microwave uncovered and zap it for a minute. I like to obsessively check the mixture every 20 seconds or so but you REALLY don't need to. After a minute whip it out and stir it, the mixture should be bubbly and expanded, if it's not then nuke it again until it is.
When it's ready it will have a smooth consistency and a bit of sheen to it, something like this:

created on: 11/18/08

It will also be CRAZY HOT. So do be careful. You can wait for it to cool a bit before the next step but it still has to have plasticity.( I LOVE the word plasticity, but it's hard to use in everyday conversation)

Carefully spoon the goo into the moulds, squishing it down into the corners with your spatula. You can go with flat topped cakes or heaped one's the choice is yours.


created on: 11/18/08

Right now leave them alone for a day. 12-24 hours gives everything time to set nicely.

Now it's time to make the icing!

Grate your coloured icing soap, (as fine as possible without it being powder) mix it with some water and nuke it. This mix can be a tiny bit runnier but do keep mixing it while it's nuking. (For my next bach I would grate the soap finer than this and nuke it for longer that the ones shown here)

Right, you should have a bowl of hot, pink goo. This is where I start to go to pieces, but I'm sure you'll do just fine. Depending on the level of fancy-schmancy-ness you want to achieve with your icing you could either spoon the icing onto the cakes and smooth it with a spatula.
Pop a bit of the (cooler) icing into a piping bag and either create wonderful textures and flowery froo-froo's or cry in rage because the stupid thing just won't work and what's wrong with it anyway.
Either way, once you're done icing, leave the cakes alone for a while and then either use them or distribute to your friends and family in cute gift boxes.

created on: 11/18/08




I found the idea for this form of soap making at At Home With The Farmer's Wife (the blog of a very clever lady whom I suspect might be superhuman).

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lilybee on Nov 19, 2008:

Smwah ha. Bruno you made me snort into my tea!

bruno on Nov 19, 2008:

A recipe for disaster:

Me: Ooh look at that yummy cupcake next to the sink
You: Oh, no, that's not a ...
Me: Blargh!! This cupcake tastes awful!
You: That's because it's soap.
Me (still chewing): Right you are... not bad once you get used to them though.

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