Cupcake & cocktail experiences

Cupcakes (also known as Fairy Cakes) get their name becuase they can be made in a cup - they're usually made for just one cupcake per person. They're decorated on top with icing & other decorations. We've been making them in our family for years; there's something very comforting about enjoying an afternoon in a warm kitchen in autumn/winter baking and then tucking into the results over a cup of tea or coffee.

Cupcake & Cocktail Experiences

Cupcakes & Cocktails expereinces make a great experience day gift, either as a treat for yourself, or to go with a friend, or to treat someone special to. These experiences are great fun, combining the delights of having a go at decorating cupcakes, discovering tips & tricks for making & icing them - and taking some home to enjoy.

A number of experience companies offer Cupcake & Cocktail Experiences, so here's a round up, just to give you a flavour for what's on offer, and a sweetner! A couple of them don't actually involve doing any work, just eating and watching...Please note that vouchers have expiry dates and read the notes provided by the experience company before you buy...

SPECIAL OFFER!

Into the Blue are giving 20% off any gift experience between £25 and £250 this weekend. JANSALE20 is valid until 23:59 on Sunday 22 January 2012 - and it's also valid against current special offers! Click here to see what gourmet gift experiences Into the Blue offer (including cupcake experiences)

Buy a Gift have 20% off their Hobbies section this week from 16 to 22 Jan 2012 - use code HOBBIES20 to get your discount!

£99.00 introductory offer which is 30% off!	NEW: Five Hour Cupcake Masterclass London This five hour experience will include talks and demonstrations from the professionals. Learn about butterfrosting, how to make fondant icing and sugarcraft skills. Discover how to make roses and teddy bears by hand, use cutters, flower plungers, and food colourings. Use piping bags so that you can swirl and create stunning toppings for each of your cupcakes. There's even a brief talk on running a business from home. Take home your cupcakes and recipe sheets so that you can bake your cupcakes again and again. Virgin Experience Days have a 30% off introductory offer	More info/ Buy Now from Virgin Experience Days
Currently on special offer at £35.25 instead of £49 for 1	Cupcakes and Cocktail Experience for One London Head to London, where you'll enjoy a lovely cocktail, have a Q&A session on how to make the best cupcakes with a moist sponge. Then you'll be taught how to make various decorations from coloured sugarpaste and after that, it's your turn to get stuck in. You'll be given 6 cupcakes to decorate and then head for home with a sense of achievement and a box of your own lovely cupcakes!	More info/ Buy Now from Virgin Experience Days
£47.00	Cupcakes & Cocktails London, several venues there Start off with a cupcake & cocktail and a Q&A session. After a demonstration on piping and decorating, start decorating your cupcakes with coloured frosting, sugar strands and hand crafted sugar roses and shapes provided. Take at least 5 cupcakes home with you in your own unique cupcake box, along with the cocktail recipe. Why not go with a group of friends to celebrate a hen party or birthday? Click here to see other cookery lessons and classes from IntotheBlue	More info/ Buy Now from IntotheBlue
£78 for Two, currently on special offer	Cupcake, Whoopie Pie & Martini Experience for Two London This experience has it all! Make your own Chocolate Martini with the gorgeous Green & Black's milk chocolate; decorate six delightful cupcakes, and decorate two Whoopie pies filled with delicious frosting. You'll also discover the perfect recipe for a light sponge, butter frosting & marshmallow filling. Take your creations home to devour, along with recipies to make cupcakes & Whoopie pies.	More info/ Buy Now from Virgin Experience Days
£40.00	Cocktails & Cupcakes Treat for Two London, Mayfair Enjoy cocktails & cupcakes one afternoon at the lovely Mayfair Hotel in London. There's a choice of Caramel Espresso Martini, Chamomile, Spiced Rum and Pomegranate presented in a glass tea Peppermint Tea Martini (that's Peppermint tea with lashings of crème de menthe) or Peach Iced Tea ‘bottled’. This certainly is an afternoon with a difference! No work involved - just sit back, relax, indulge and enjoy sipping your cocktail & devouring cupcakes!	More info/ Buy Now from Virgin Experience Days
£98 for two	Cocktails & Cupcakes Experience London On arrival, enjoy a freshly baked cupcake to try with a delicious cocktail. Then it's onto a Q&A section on how to make & best decorate cupcakes before a demonstration on piping, hand crafting sugar craft roses, petals and various shapes for decoration. Then it's your turn to have a go at decorating with the cupcakes you're given, and you can take them home to enjoy there. Why not buy a Cocktails & Cupcakes Experience for Two & go with a friend?	More info/ Buy Now from Buy a Gift
£50 for One £99 for Two Group rate too!	Cupcakes, Chocolate Martinis & Whoopie Pies London, Clerkenwell During this 2 hour experience, you'll be given the recipe on how to make the perfect cupcake sponge, shake your own chocolate martini dipped in Green & Blacks chocolate and decorate your own variatin of whoopie pies. You'll receive 6 freshly baked cupcakes and 2 whoopie pies to decorate with chocolate toppings, ice gems, sugarcraft and gold leaves. You can package your cakes with the boxes, ribbons and stickers to take home, along with a recipe pack.	More info/ Buy Now from IntotheBlue
£50	Cupcake Decorating with Cake Boy Battersea, London Cook with Master Patissier Eric Lanlard, who has baked cakes for - amongst others - Madonna, Claudia Schiffer, Liz Hurley and Elton John! Head to his Cake Boy boutique and discover skills you can use at home... how to spread and pipe buttercream icing, use subtle and vibrant paste colours, roll and cut icing to create decorative shapes and adorn your cakes with glitter, sprinkles and more! This experience gets great reviews on the Red Letter Days page. You take 12 cupcakes home with you, too! Click here to see Red Letter Days full range of cookery classes available	More info/ Buy Now from Red Letter Days
£47.00	The Cupcake Experience London, Hampstead On arrival, meet your teacher for the session & enjoy a cupcake. There's a Q & A session on how to make the best cupcakes with a moist sponge, followed by a tasting session of different samples and your own go at decorating cupcakes. You'll have six cupcakes to decorate, using a piping bag & different colour frostings. Head for home with a box of your own cupcakes plus recipes to have a go with at home!	More info/ Buy Now from Virgin Experience Days
£124.00	Full Day Cupcake Baking & Decorating Course London, Essex, Worcestershire Enjoy a 5 and a half hour experience learning how to bake & decorate a dozen of your very own cupcakes! Learn icing techniques, discover the arts of sugarcraft, make sugar decorations, flower modelling and making handmade suger roses. Find out how to pipe perfect butter cream swirls, add colouring and flavouring and, discover cupcake recipes and interesting recipe variations. Activity Superstore also have a Cupcake Decorating Masterclass which shows you how to decorate - this activity lasts for about 2 hours and costs £49. Find out more here	More info/ Buy Now from Activity Superstore