Chocolate and mint is a classic flavor combination. Refreshing peppermint and rich chocolate – what could be better during the cold winter months? That combination inspired these soap cupcakes. Thanks to Pinterest, we stumbled upon these Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes from Sally’s Baking Addiction, and knew we found the perfect design inspiration.

This project uses a combination of Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oil and Moroccan Mint Fragrance Oil. Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oil is only used in the base of the cupcakes to account for the discoloration. A touch of brown oxide is added to the base to help even out the discoloration. Low-sweat melt and pour is used to create embed cherries and a chocolate drizzle. Cranberry seeds add the finishing touch.

Cold process soap frosting can be created in a few ways. One method involves adding cold lye water to cold oils, as shown in the Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes. We found this technique is great for tall cupcake frosting, but it does involve extra prep.

The frosting is created from the same batch of soap as the base of the cupcakes. It involves less prep, but you need a good understanding of trace to find the right texture to pipe. It can get thick very quickly. If that happens, skip the frosting tip and pipe the soap with the large hole in the frosting bag.

What You Need:
Sphere Embeds
Small 9 Ball Silicone Mold
3 oz. LCP Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base
Red Mica

Base 
Round Cupcake Silicone Mold
33 oz. Basic Quick Mix
4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
10.9 oz. Distilled Water
1 oz. Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oil
Brown Oxide

Frosting
Disposable Frosting Bag
1M Frosting Tip
1 oz. Moroccan Mint Fragrance Oil
4 oz. LCP Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base
Brown Oxide Color Block
Cranberry Seeds

Click below to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

MAKE THE EMBEDS: Chop and melt 3 oz. of LCP Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base in the microwave using 10 second bursts. Because you’re melting such a small amount of soap, use short bursts so it doesn’t burn. Add a dash of the Red Mica and use a spoon to thoroughly mix it in. Add more mica if you’d like a more saturated color. Pour the soap into each cavity of the Small 9 Ball Silicone Mold and allow to cool and harden. While the embeds cool, prep the other ingredients.

If you’ve never made cold process soap before, stop here. We highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on cold process soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including Pure Soapmaking. You can also check out the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of brown oxide into 1 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil (like sunflower oil or sweet almond). Use a mini mixer to work out any clumps.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 1 ounce of Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oil and 1 ounce of Moroccan Mint Fragrance Oil into separate glass containers. Set them aside.

MELT & POUR PREP: Chop about 4 ounces of LCP Clear Melt and Pour Soap Base into small chunks and place in a heat-safe container. Add a chunk of the Brown Oxide Color Block. Do not melt yet, this soap will be drizzled on top of the frosting in a later step.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. If you prefer a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 2 teaspoons of sodium lactate.

TWO: Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Mix until it’s completely clear and there is no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 33 ounces into your soaping bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a thin trace.

THREE: Split off 21 ounces of the soap batter into a separate container.

FOUR: To this container of soap, add 2 teaspoons of dispersed Brown Oxide. Then add the Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oil. Use a whisk to mix in the colorants and fragrance. If you still have a thin trace, use the stick blender to thicken the batter to a medium trace.

FIVE: Pour the brown soap into the cavities of the Cupcake Silicone Mold. Use a spoon to even out the soap, but don’t worry about them being perfect. They will soon be covered in soap frosting.

SIX: Add the Moroccan Mint Fragrance Oil to the remaining soap batter, and use a stick blender to mix it in. If the soap is a thin to medium trace, continue stick blending until it is a thick trace. It needs to be thin enough so it’s pipeable but firm enough to hold its shape. If it’s not thickening with the stick blender, let the soap sit in the bowl for 1-2 minutes and test the texture. Continue to let it firm up until you’ve reached the texture of very thick pudding.

Spoon some of the soap into the frosting bag. Twist the end of the bag to close it. It’s time to pipe.

SEVEN: Squeeze a large dollop of frosting in the center of each cupcake.

EIGHT: Pipe the frosting up and around the center of each dollop until you form a peak. Continue until each cupcake is frosted. If you have leftover soap frosting, pipe little flowers on freezer paper to use as toppers for another batch.

NINE: Once the cupcakes are frosted, melt the LCP Soap Base in the microwave using 5 second bursts. Once melted, use a dropper or spoon to drizzle the melted soap on top of one cupcake.

TEN: Quickly, while the melt and pour is still wet, sprinkle cranberry seeds on top. Spritz with alcohol to get rid of bubbles if necessary and place a red embed on the top of each cupcake.

ELEVEN: Continue this process for each cupcake. Once each of the cupcakes are decorated, spritz them all with more alcohol to help prevent soda ash. If you live in a hot climate, you may want to place the cupcakes in the fridge for several hours to prevent the frosting from melting and losing its shape. Our area was cool, so we let the cupcakes sit at room temperature.

TWELVE: Allow the cupcakes to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Carefully remove each soap from the mold, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy.

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Chocolate Peppermint Soap Cupcakes Tutorial

These soap cupcakes are inspired by the classic combination of chocolate and mint.

Course Cold process soap

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 6 cupcakes

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

Sphere Embeds

• Small 9 Ball Silicone Mold
• 3 oz. LCP Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base
• Red Mica

Base

• Round Cupcake Silicone Mold
• 33 oz. Basic Quick Mix
• 4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 10.9 oz. Distilled Water
• 1 oz. Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oil
• Brown Oxide

Frosting

• Disposable Frosting Bag
• 1 M Frosting Tip
• 1 oz. Moroccan Mint Fragrance Oil
• 4 oz. LCP Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base
• Brown Oxide Color Block
• Cranberry Seeds

Instructions

MAKE THE EMBEDS: Chop and melt 3 oz. of LCP Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base in the microwave using 10 second bursts. Because you’re melting such a small amount of soap, use short bursts so it doesn’t burn. Add a dash of the Red Mica and use a spoon to thoroughly mix it in. Add more mica if you’d like a more saturated color. Pour the soap into each cavity of the Small 9 Ball Silicone Mold and allow to cool and harden. While the embeds cool, prep the other ingredients.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon of brown oxide into 1 tablespoon of lightweight liquid oil (like sunflower oil or sweet almond). Use a mini mixer to work out any clumps.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 1 ounce of Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oil and 1 ounce of Moroccan Mint Fragrance Oil into separate glass containers. Set them aside.

MELT & POUR PREP: Chop about 4 ounces of LCP Clear Melt and Pour Soap Base into small chunks and place in a heat-safe container. Add a chunk of the Brown Oxide Color Block. Do not melt yet, this soap will be drizzled on top of the frosting in a later step.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices. That means goggles, gloves, and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, other distractions, and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. If you prefer a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add 2 teaspoons of sodium lactate.
• Fully melt the entire bag of Basic Quick Mix until it’s completely clear and there is no cloudiness. Shake the bag to mix up all the oils. Measure 33 ounces into your soaping bowl. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend the mixture to a thin trace.
• Split off 21 ounces of the soap batter into a separate container.
• To this container of soap, add 2 teaspoons of dispersed Brown Oxide. Then add the Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oil. Use a whisk to mix in the colorants and fragrance. If you still have a thin trace, use the stick blender to thicken the batter to a medium trace.
• Pour the brown soap into the cavities of the Cupcake Silicone Mold. Use a spoon to even out the soap, but don’t worry about them being perfect. They will soon be covered in soap frosting.
• Add the Moroccan Mint Fragrance Oil to the remaining soap batter, and use a stick blender to mix it in. If the soap is a thin to medium trace, continue stick blending until it is a thick trace. It needs to be thin enough so it’s pipeable but firm enough to hold its shape. If it’s not thickening with the stick blender, let the soap sit in the bowl for 1-2 minutes and test the texture. Continue to let it firm up until you’ve reached the texture of very thick pudding. Spoon some of the soap into the frosting bag. Twist the end of the bag to close it. It’s time to pipe.
• Squeeze a large dollop of frosting in the center of each cupcake.
• Pipe the frosting up and around the center of each dollop until you form a peak. Continue until each cupcake is frosted. If you have leftover soap frosting, pipe little flowers on freezer paper to use as toppers for another batch.
• Once the cupcakes are frosted, melt the LCP Soap Base in the microwave using 5 second bursts. Once melted, use a dropper or spoon to drizzle the melted soap on top of one cupcake.
• Quickly, while the melt and pour is still wet, sprinkle cranberry seeds on top. Spritz with alcohol to get rid of bubbles if necessary and place a red embed on the top of each cupcake.
• Continue this process for each cupcake. Once each of the cupcakes are decorated, spritz them all with more alcohol to help prevent soda ash. If you live in a hot climate, you may want to place the cupcakes in the fridge for several hours to prevent the frosting from melting and losing its shape. Our area was cool, so we let the cupcakes sit at room temperature.
• Allow the cupcakes to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Carefully remove each soap from the mold, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy.

The post Chocolate Peppermint Soap Cupcakes Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

Created in 2010, the DIY Bath Bomb Cupcake video on Soap Queen TV is our most popular video to date. With almost 1 million views, it’s easy to see why this project is so popular. Who doesn’t love bath bombs and cupcakes?

After 7 years, the Bath Bomb Cupcake Kit was ready for a refresh. The kit now includes the new Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter and the popular Electric Lemonade Cocktail Fragrance Oil for a fruity scent. The kit also includes newly designed instructions that are easier to follow.

This kit comes with enough ingredients to make one batch of six bath bomb cupcakes. They make fantastic gifts – just make sure the recipient knows they are bathing and not eating!

Bath Bomb Cupcake Kit Includes:
Cupcake Silicone Mold
20 oz. Baking Soda
8 oz. Citric Acid
6 oz. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate/SLSA
2 oz. Avocado Oil
2 oz. Meringue Powder
0.5 oz. Electric Lemonade Cocktail Fragrance Oil
0.2 oz. Cream of Tartar
6 oz. Witch Hazel in Spray Bottle
0.2 oz. Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter
1 Rosy Pink La Bomb Colorant
1 1M Frosting Tip
1 Disposable Plastic Decorating Bag
1 Dropper
1 pair of Gloves

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Bath Bomb Cupcake Kit

These Bath Bomb Cupcakes are a sweet treat for the tub.

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 20 oz. Sodium Bicarbonate
• 8 oz. Citric Acid
• 6 oz. Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate/SLSA
• 2 oz. Avocado Oil
• 2 oz. Meringue Powder
• 0.5 oz. Fragrance Oil
• 1 tsp. Cream of Tartar
• 4 oz. Powdered Sugar not included in kit
• 1.5 oz. Distilled Water not included in kit
• Witch Hazel in Spray Bottle
• Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter
• Rosy Pink La Bomb Colorant
• Cupcake Silicone Mold
• Frosting Tip
• Disposable Plastic Decorating Bag
• Dropper
• Gloves

Instructions

• Add all the citric acid and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Use your fingers to break up any clumps or push the powders through a sifter.
• Using the dropper, add 7 ml of the fragrance oil and about 6 drops of the colorant to the mixture. Add as many drops of colorant as you would like to reach your desired color. Mix the colorant and fragrance in thoroughly, breaking up any clumps with your fingers.
• Use one hand to spritz the mixture with the witch hazel and the other to mix the ingredients. As you spritz the witch hazel, check the consistency. The ideal texture is similar to wet sand and should hold its shape when squeezed together in your hand. If it’s too dry, continue to spritz the mixture with the witch hazel. Make sure to spritz different areas as you mix.
• Once the bath bomb mixture has reached the right texture, fill each cupcake mold cavity with the mixture. Press it firmly into each mold until full. Slightly mound and then smooth the top of each cupcake with your fingers.
• Set aside to harden and begin preparing your frosting.

Frosting

• With an electric mixer, blend together all of the meringue powder and distilled water until smooth and clump free. Then, add 4 oz. of powdered sugar, 1 tsp. cream of tartar, and all of the avocado oil. Mix together. Finally, add all of the SLSA to the mixture. Be very careful - it can be very irritating if it becomes airborne and is inhaled. Use a large spoon or spatula to fold it in first. Then once it's mostly incorprated, mix with the electric mixer on low and gradually increase the speed.
• Using your dropper, add 7 ml of the fragrance oil and a few drops of colorant. Mix well with your electric mixer until you get a smooth but stiff frosting. You can add more water or powdered sugar to adjust the consistency as necessary.
• Cut the tip of the decorating bag (about ½ inch) and place the frosting tip firmly inside. Fill the frosting bag and squeeze any air pockets out from the top. Wipe any loose powder off the top of the cupcakes. Begin frosting your cupcakes. Have fun experimenting with different piping techniques.
• Sprinkle a pinch of the EcoGlitter on top of the frosting as desired.
• Once all the bath bombs are complete, set them aside in the mold and allow them to dry for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
• Remove the cupcakes from the mold, drop into a hot bath and enjoy!

The post Bath Bomb Cupcake Kit appeared first on Soap Queen.

Lemon-flavored desserts are always a favorite. Not only are they delicious, but the bright yellow color is hard to beat. While you can’t eat these Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes, they look just as yummy as the real thing! The design was a spin off the Luscious Lemon Cupcakes, which were made with melt and pour soap. Scented with Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil, these soaps smell fresh and tart.

This recipe does require a few steps, and is considered an advanced soaping project. If you’ve never made soap before, I recommend getting a few batches under your belt before trying this tutorial. In particular, creating soap frosting requires a good understanding of soaping temperatures and lye safety. To watch the process of making cold process soap frosting, check out the Soap Queen TV video below.

What You’ll Need:
Soap Cupcakes Base:
Round Cupcake Silicone Mold
2.4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
4 oz. Coconut Oil
4 oz. Olive Oil
4.8 oz. Palm Oil
.8 oz. Shea Butter
2.3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
5.3 oz. Distilled Water
Yellow Lip Safe Mica
.2 oz. Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil

Soap Frosting:
3.8 oz. Cocoa Butter
7.6 oz. Coconut Oil
3.8 oz. Olive Oil
3.8 oz. Shea Butter
2.8 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
6.3 oz. Distilled Water
Yellow Lip Safe Mica
Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil
Disposable Frosting Bag
1M Frosting Tip

Soap Embeds:
Citrus Slice Wax Tart Mold
2 oz. LCP Clear MP Base
Yellow Lip Safe Mica
Optional: 99% Isopropyl Alcohol

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

[sq_products]

Make the Lemon Embeds

ONE: Disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Yellow Lip Safe Mica into 1/2 Tablespoon 99% isopropyl alcohol. Mix to combine. Cut 2 oz. of LCP Clear Melt and Pour Base in small chunks and melt in a heat-safe container on 5 second bursts. Melting on short bursts ensures the soap doesn’t burn. Read more about burnt melt and pour here. Add all the dispersed Yellow Lip Safe Mica colorant, and stir to combine.

TWO: Carefully pour the soap into the cavities, filling only until the citrus design is covered. Spritz with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles, and allow to fully cool and harden. This will take about 1-2 hours. Once hardened, pop out each embed and set aside until later.

Make the Base

If you’ve never made Cold Process soap before, stop here! I highly recommend checking out our FREE four part SoapQueen.tv series on Cold Process Soapmaking, especially the episode on lye safety. And if you’d rather do some reading, Bramble Berry carries a wide range of books on the topic, including my newest book, Pure Soapmaking. You can also checkout the digital downloads for that instant gratification factor.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon Yellow Lip Safe Mica into 1 tablespoon of light liquid oil.

ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.

TWO: Combine the sweet almond oil, coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil and shea butter (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until you reach a light trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 1 tsp. sodium lactate.

THREE: Add 1 tbs. of the dispersed Yellow Mica and 0.2 ounces of the Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil. Use a whisk to stir both ingredients in thoroughly.

FOUR: If your soap is still extremely thin, pulse the mixture with the stick blender for several seconds to thicken slightly. Pour the batter into each cavity. Tap the mold on the counter to help even out the soap and get rid of any bubbles.

Make the Frosting

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

LYE & OIL PREP: In order to get soapy frosting to actually look like frosting, the lye and oils must be very cold. We recommend making the lye water a full day ahead of time, clearly labeling it (*poison* *danger* *do not drink!*) and keeping it in a refrigerator not used for food. Alternately, you can use frozen water (eh hem: ice) to add your lye flakes to but the lye will still need to cool down. The lye should be around 60 degrees F before adding it to the oils. Additionally, you want your oils to be around 70 degrees F. You can even refrigerate them for several hours too! They should be semi-solid at this temperature. If your oils become completely solid, don’t worry. Soap frosting can be created with solid oils as well.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 2 teaspoons of Yellow Lip Safe Mica into 2 tablespoons of light liquid oil.

ONE: Whip the oils into a soft consistency. Slowly pour a small amount of the lye into the whipped oils, and use a spoon to incorporate. Be super careful not to splash any lye at this point before the lye water is fully incorporated into the hardened, slushy, cool oils. Continue to add a small amounts of the lye water to the oils, and slowly and carefully mix it in. Take your time with this process!

TWO: Once the lye has been incorporated into the oils (this can take a few minutes), turn the hand mixer or stand mixer on low. Whip oils until a fluffy, frosting texture is achieved. Scrape any batter that has splattered on the side of the container and then turn the mixer to a medium setting. Continue to whip for several minutes.

THREE: Once the lye and oils are completely combined, add 0.3 ounces of the Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil. Incorporate the fragrance oil with a spoon or spatula first until mixed, then turn on the mixer on low and whip the ingredients together until completely combined.

FOUR: Split the frosting in half, and add all of the dispersed Yellow Lip Safe Mica. Use a spatula or whisk to fully mix in the colorant.

FIVE: Cut off about a half inch from the tip of the frosting bag and push the tip through. Scoop two frosting colors into opposite sides of the bag until full. You will have some frosting left over, and will need to fill the bag again during the frosting process.

SIX: Squeeze out some of the frosting until both colors come out of the bag. Squeeze a dollop of frosting in the center of each cupcake.

SEVEN: Pipe the frosting up and around the center of each cupcake until you form a peak.

EIGHT: Place a lemon embed into the top of each cupcake. Immediately place the cupcakes into the fridge or freezer. This helps the frosting stay firm and prevents it from melting. Remove the cupcakes from the fridge or freezer after several hours or overnight. Allow the cupcakes to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Carefully remove each soap from the mold, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

[expand title=”Click to View the Recipe”]

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Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes DIY

Course Cold process soap

Servings 6 cupcakes

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

Soap Cupcakes Base:

• Round Cupcake Silicone Mold
• 2.4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
• 4 oz. Coconut Oil
• 4 oz. Olive Oil
• 4.8 oz. Palm Oil
• .8 oz. Shea Butter
• 2.3 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 5.3 oz. Distilled Water
• Yellow Lip Safe Mica
• .2 oz. Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil

Soap Frosting:

• 3.8 oz. Cocoa Butter
• 7.6 oz. Coconut Oil
• 3.8 oz. Olive Oil
• 3.8 oz. Shea Butter
• 2.8 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
• 6.3 oz. Distilled Water
• Yellow Lip Safe Mica
• Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil
• Disposable Frosting Bag
• 1 M Frosting Tip

Soap Embeds:

• Citrus Slice Wax Tart Mold
• 2 oz. LCP Clear MP Base
• Yellow Lip Safe Mica
• Optional: 99% Isopropyl Alcohol

Instructions

Make Embeds:

• Disperse 1/2 teaspoon of Yellow Lip Safe Mica into 1/2 Tablespoon 99% isopropyl alcohol. Mix to combine. Cut 2 oz. of LCP Clear Melt and Pour Base in small chunks and melt in a heat-safe container on 5 second bursts. Melting on short bursts ensures the soap doesn’t burn. Read more about burnt melt and pour here. Add all the dispersed Yellow Lip Safe Mica colorant, and stir to combine.
• Carefully pour the soap into the cavities, filling only until the citrus design is covered. Spritz with 99% isopropyl alcohol to disperse any bubbles, and allow to fully cool and harden. This will take about 1-2 hours. Once hardened, pop out each embed and set aside until later.

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon Yellow Lip Safe Mica into 1 tablespoon of light liquid oil.

FRAGRANCE PREP: Measure 0.2 ounces of Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil in a glass, fragrance oil safe container.

• Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool.
• Combine the sweet almond oil, coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil and shea butter (remember to fully melt then mix your entire container of palm oil before portioning). Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 130 degrees or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until you reach a light trace. If you’d like a harder bar of soap that releases faster from the mold, you can add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water. Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in the recipe. For this recipe, you’d add about 1 tsp. sodium lactate.
• Add 1 tbs. of the dispersed Yellow Mica and 0.2 ounces of the Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil. Use a whisk to stir both ingredients in thoroughly.
• If your soap is still extremely thin, pulse the mixture with the stick blender for several seconds to thicken slightly. Pour the batter into each cavity. Tap the mold on the counter to help even out the soap and get rid of any bubbles.Set soap aside to make the frosting.

Make the Frosting

SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! That means goggles, gloves and long sleeves. Make sure kids, pets, and other distractions and tripping hazards are out of the house or don’t have access to your soaping space. Always soap in a well-ventilated area.

LYE & OIL PREP: In order to get soapy frosting to actually look like frosting, the lye and oils must be very cold. We recommend making the lye water a full day ahead of time, clearly labeling it (*poison* *danger* *do not drink!*) and keeping it in a refrigerator not used for food. Alternately, you can use frozen water (eh hem: ice) to add your lye flakes to but the lye will still need to cool down. The lye should be around 60 degrees F before adding it to the oils. Additionally, you want your oils to be around 70 degrees F. You can even refrigerate them for several hours too! They should be semi-solid at this temperature. If your oils become completely solid, don’t worry. Soap frosting can be created with solid oils as well.

COLOR PREP: Disperse 2 teaspoon Yellow Lip Safe Mica into 2 tablespoons of light liquid oil.

• Whip the oils into a soft consistency. Slowly pour a small amount of the lye into the whipped oils, and use a spoon to incorporate. Be super careful not to splash any lye at this point before the lye water is fully incorporated into the hardened, slushy, cool oils. Continue to add a small amounts of the lye water to the oils, and slowly and carefully mix it in. Take your time with this process!
• Once the lye has been incorporated into the oils (this can take a few minutes), turn the hand mixer or stand mixer on low. Whip oils until a fluffy, frosting texture is achieved. Scrape any batter that has splattered on the side of the container and then turn the mixer to a medium setting. Continue to whip for several minutes.
• Once the lye and oils are completely combined, add 0.3 ounces of the Lemon Verbena Yankee Type Fragrance Oil. Incorporate the fragrance oil with a spoon or spatula first until mixed, then turn on the mixer on low and whip the ingredients together until completely combined.
• Split the frosting in half, and add all of the dispersed Yellow Lip Safe Mica. Use a spatula or whisk to fully mix in the colorant.
• Cut off about a half inch from the tip of the frosting bag and push the tip through. Scoop two frosting colors into opposite sides of the bag until full. You will have some frosting left over, and will need to fill the bag again during the frosting process.
• Squeeze out some of the frosting until both colors come out of the bag. Squeeze a dollop of frosting in the center of each cupcake.
• Pipe the frosting up and around the center of each cupcake until you form a peak.
• Place a lemon embed into the top of each cupcake. Immediately place the cupcakes into the fridge or freezer. This helps the frosting stay firm and prevents it from melting. Remove the cupcakes from the fridge or freezer after several hours or overnight. Allow the cupcakes to stay in the mold for 2-3 days. Carefully remove each soap from the mold, and allow to cure for 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!

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The post Lemon Cold Process Soap Cupcakes DIY appeared first on Soap Queen.

Jamisen was happy to help in the kitchen…especially if it meant licking the cupcake batter from the beaters! It’s fun to watch him become more interested in cooking and baking. He is becoming quite the little sous chef.

Jamisen and his grandpa sure love butterscotch! I plan on creating this butterscotch butterscotch cake for Father’s Day…be on the lookout for an updated blog post!

Baby cousin Alise joined the celebration. I love that Lily and Alise will grow up together. Below, my mom and Alise snuggle up together. The kids are remarkably good with baby Alise and Lily just loves that there’s a new baby to play with. Alise just started crawling this last weekend so that was fun to see her explore with confidence. She mostly crawls towards food.

Lily was a little confused by her candle, but thoroughly enjoyed the cupcake! Once she understood that in order to eat the cupcake, she had to actually blow out the candle, she was all-in!

We did try to get the kids to eat healthy food before cupcake time. Whenever I’m having lots of people over, I always make quiche. It’s fast and easy to prepare and best of all, can be prepped ahead of time and frozen.

And now, for the butterscotch cupcakes! This cupcake recipe is fantastic because it combines a cake mix with homemade ingredients. The cake mix saves time, but still full of flavor thanks to the addition of (wait for it, cream soda and jell-o pudding mix!). In addition to drizzling the top of the cupcakes with the homemade ganache, I placed a small spoonful in the center of the batter before baking. This made the cake extra moist and infused with butterscotch flavor. Yum!

Butterscotch Ganache  (Recipe from Pastry Affair)
11 ounces (1 package) butterscotch chips
1 cup heavy cream

ONE: In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the butterscotch chips into the heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before using.

TWO: In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and the soda to best judgement. Add the soda bit by bit and keep mixing until you get a cake-batter-like consistency. Add the soda slowly. You can add more but can’t take it out if you add too much. Beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes or until well combined. Stir in the butterscotch pudding mix. Evenly distribute the batter among the muffin tins, filling about ⅔” full. Add a spoonfull of the butterscotch ganache into the batter.
THREE: Bake the cupcakes for approx. 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
FOUR: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the softened butter, butterscotch sauce and vanilla until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, about one cup at a time, until frosting is light and fluffy. I used a ziploc bag with the corner cut off for my frosting bag.

Print

Butterscotch Cupcake Recipe

Course Dessert

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

Butterscotch Ganache (Recipe from Pastry Affair)

• 11 ounces 1 package butterscotch chips
• 1 cup heavy cream

Butterscotch Cupcakes (Recipe from The Domestic Rebel)

• 1 box yellow cake mix|
• 1 bottle butterscotch soda if you can’t find butterscotch soda, use one can/one bottle of cream soda
• 1 small box sugar free/fat free butterscotch instant pudding mix
• ¾ cups butter softened
• 6 Tbsp butterscotch sundae sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• About 4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Butterscotch Ganache

• In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the butterscotch chips into the heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before using.

Butterscotch Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with about 18 liners. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and the soda. Beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes or until well combined. Stir in the butterscotch pudding mix. Evenly distribute the batter among the muffin tins, filling about ⅔” full. Add a spoonfull of the butterscotch ganache into the batter.
• Bake the cupcakes for approx. 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the softened butter, butterscotch sauce and vanilla until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, about one cup at a time, until frosting is light and fluffy
• Pipe the frosting high onto the cooled cupcakes. Drizzle remaining ganache on top of the cupcakes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

The post Lily’s Birthday + Butterscotch Cupcake Recipe appeared first on Soap Queen.

Easy to customize, Foaming Bath Whip will accept up to 5% fragrance or essential oils. Simply pour the fragrance in, and use a hand mixer or stick blender to beat the Foaming Bath Whip to achieve a soufflé-like consistency. Very mild with a pH level of 5.5, this product is ideal for dry or sensitive skin. Looking for even more moisture and skin loving properties? Extracts and fixed oils can also be added to Foaming Bath Whip.

Left to right: Rose Clay Sugar Scrub, Sweet Summer Scrub

Foaming Bath Whip is perfect for creating rich and creamy scrubs. Simply add color, fragrance and the exfoliant of your choice to make your own unique product. Pictured above (left to right) is the Rose Clay Sugar Scrub and the Sweet Summer Scrub. Both projects use Foaming Bath Whip, sugar and a bit of added Sweet Almond Oil for additional moisture.

Left to right:  Luscious Lemon Cupcake Tutorial, Foaming Bath Whip Frosting Recipe

If you’d like to incorporate Foaming Bath Whip into your soapy projects, it’s the main ingredient in the Foaming Bath Whip Frosting Recipe. Melt and pour soap and glycerin is added to the base to give it a firmer texture, making it perfect for soapy cupcakes! If you’d like to try making your own melt and pour cupcakes, check out the Luscious Lemon Cupcake Tutorial.

Left to right: Coconut Cream Pie Cold Process, French Macaron Inspired Bath Bombs 

The Coconut Cream Pie Cold Process Tutorial uses Foaming Bath Whip frosting to give cold process soap a creamy topping. The frosting is also perfect for bath fizzies, as shown in the French Macaron Inspired Bath Bombs. Simply throw these cute “cookies” into the tub and enjoy as the Foaming Bath Whip adds moisture to your bath water.

Looking for yet another way to use Foaming Bath Whip? This simple Green Tea Shaving Cream tutorial is rich, creamy and made with skin loving ingredients such as Vitamin E Oil, Green Tea Seed Oil and Green Tea Extract. Using a fresh blend of Green Tea Fragrance Oil and Eden’s Garden Cybilla Fragrance Oil, this shaving cream is great for both men and women.

What You’ll Need:
8 oz. Foaming Bath Whip
1.5 oz. Green Tea Seed Oil
3 mL Green Tea Extract
3 mL Vitamin E Oil
3 mL Green Tea Fragrance Oil
1 mL Eden’s Garden Cybilla Fragrance Oil
8 oz. Tall Plastic Bail Jar

ONE: In a medium sized container, combine Foaming Bath Whip and Green Tea Seed Oil. Use a hand mixer to blend together.
TWO: Add Green Tea Extract, Vitamin E Oil and continue to blend.

THREE: Add fragrance blend and blend until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Once all the ingredients are incorporated stop beating. You don’t want to over beat the Foaming Bath Whip, as it can collapse.
FOUR: Transfer the mixture into the 8 ounce Glass Bail Jar, and enjoy!

Have you used Foaming Bath Whip before? What is your favorite project to incorporate it into?

The post Sunday Night Spotlight: Foaming Bath Whip + Green Tea Shaving Cream Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

This tutorial also features the Foaming Bath Whip, which stiffens to mimic sugary sweet frosting. These cupcakes are a real treat!

What You’ll Need:

24 oz White Melt & Pour Soap Base 
1 oz Clear Melt & Pour Base
1 teaspoon Fizzy Lemonade Pigment
2.5 tablespoon Liquid Glycerin
1.5 cups pound Foaming Bath Whip
6 tablespoons Meringue Powder
0.7 oz Lemon Cake Fragrance Oil
0.7 oz Vanilla Color Stabilizer
Silicone Cupcake Mold
Citrus Wax Tart Mold
Frosting Bag
1 M Frosting Tip
Soap Injector Tool
Square Silicone Spoon

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: Cut up 1 oz. clear melt and pour and place in microwaveable bowl. Heat in 15 second bursts until melted.

TWO: In a small container, mix 1 tbsp. Liquid Glycerin with 1 tsp. Fizzy Lemonade. Put 10 drops of this color mixture into the melted, clear soap.

THREE: Using a soap injector tool, squirt enough soap to just cover the first shoulder in the citrus wax tart mold. Fill 6 cavities, and spritz with alcohol. Allow to harden. If you’re in a hurry, 15 minutes in the freezer will do the trick quickly.

FOUR: Cut 24 oz. white melt and pour and melt in microwave in 30 second bursts.

FIVE: Once melted, add 1 tsp. of the yellow colorant mixture and blend well. Add 0.7 oz Lemon Cake Fragrance Oil and 0.7 oz. Vanilla Color Stabilizer. Add to soap and mix well.

SIX: Pour soap into the cupcake mold. Set aside.

SEVEN: In a large bowl, combine 1.5 cups Foaming Bath Whip, 6 Tablespoons Meringue Powder and 1.5 tbsp Liquid Glycerin. Whip mixture with a hand mixer. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form.

EIGHT: Put frosting tip inside frosting bag. Carefully spoon whipped frosting into frosting bag.

NINE: Pipe frosting onto the set up cupcake bottoms.

TEN: Get the citrus mold. If the soap isn’t popping out easily, put the soap in the freezer for 15 minutes to help with the mold release. Place little citrus slices in soft frosting tops.

Set aside for 48 hours and unmold! These soaps are ready to use, give away or sell right away. The frosting top will harden upon standing so if you are packaging these, wait for a few weeks until the frosting top is table enough to withstand some pressure.

The post Luscious Lemon Melt & Pour Cupcakes appeared first on Soap Queen.

From noon Pacific Standard Time today (February 4) until noon Pacific Standard Time tomorrow (February 5), all fragrance oils at Bramble Berry are 15% off. Enter the coupon code SHOLUV88 during checkout to automatically receive the discount. Fine print: this offer does not apply to essential oils, the SoapyLove collection or fragrance oil sample kits. Yes, you can combine this discount with other offers and coupons (including the LOVE30 discount!).

It’s our way of showing you the love!

Tip: You must enter the coupon code before you complete the checkout process. You cannot enter the coupon code after you’ve confirmed and completed payment, so pay close attention when you reach the following screen! Enter the coupon, ‘SHOLUV88’ in the blank field and then click ‘Apply.’

After you hit ‘Apply,’ you’ll know that your coupon has been received because the green text will appear below the blank field telling you the discount has been accepted. You’ll also see it applied to your order total on the left side of the screen.

I hope over the past few days you’ve felt inspired to make some wonderful treats to surprise your special someone. Take a look at all the projects below. We had a ridiculous amount of fun designing and creating them – and using them hasn’t been all that bad either!

Top left, clockwise: Mini Heart Bath Bombs, Creative Packaging, Pink Salt Foot Scrub, Beet Cupcakes

Keep in mind Bramble Berry has a few other sales going on right now too. For example, you can get 30% off all the items in the Mini Heart Bath Bomb kit by entering the coupon code LOVE30 during checkout. As for the Pink Salt Foot Scrub, you don’t even need a coupon as everything in the kit is less than $25!

Are there any fragrances you are particularly excited to buy? We’ve got our tennis shoes on and are ready to pour. =)

The post Show Your Love: The Sale You’ve Been Waiting For appeared first on Soap Queen.

To get a great frosting on your cupcake soaps, you need to have a fairly thick soap batter. With that in mind, I would suggest Bramble Berry’s Basic Quick Mix  Ruth used about 3 pounds of batter to make 12 cupcakes (with a little left over). If you use the 33 ounce size package of Bramble Berry’s Basic Quick Mix, you should get around 8 cupcakes with a little left over (unless you go sky-high with the frosting, then you may not get as many).

Before I go any further, here’s a picture of Ruth with the newly appointed President of the Handmade Soap and Cosmetic Guild. Her name is Feleciai Favroth. She is going to do a great job!

Before beginning to make soap, be sure to suit up for safety, just like Ruth did. Ruth began by adding her water/lye mixture to the oils. She used twice as much water as lye. Next, she added fragrance oil that she knew wouldn’t discolor the soap. She blended to bring the soap to a medium trace.

Then she poured the bottoms of the cupcakes.

She showed us various molds that can be used for the base of the cupcakes.

I love the idea of using the nut cups. They stand alone, are lined, and make pretty packaging. Ruth colored the remaining soap base that was then used to frost the cupcakes.

While we waited for the frosting to thicken up a bit, Ruth shared lots of fun ideas. She kept her goggles and gloves on. Don’t forget to keep your safety equipment on. Ruth introduced us to various piping equipment, from simple to more complex. She showed us lots of fun embellishments. Included were sugar pearls and sugar cupcake decorations.

Did you know you can get kits that contain coordinated cupcake pretties? Other good decorations include body safe glitters and jojoba beads. She had a star set that had star liners, star sugar sprinkles and star cupcake picks. So cute!

When the frosting was ready, it was time to learn how to pipe designs. First, Ruth showed us how to get the soap batter into the piping bag. Her method was pretty slick. She used disposable pastry bags in a medium size. She cut the end off of the little closed end of the bag. Then she dropped the tip into the bag. When you do this, keep the little ends of both the tip and the bag down. With a little wiggling and positioning, the decorating tip was secured in the bag and ready to go. She folded the tip end of the bag up a bit, so the tip was facing up. Then she placed the bag in a tall container, like a sturdy cup. Once the bag is in the cup, it’s helpful to open the bag as wide as you can. You can even fold the bag over the edges of the cup if the bag is large enough. Next, she poured some soap batter in.

When you do this step, be sure to leave enough room to twist the bag a few times to prevent soap from leaking back out the top when you begin squeezing and decorating. When you think the soap is ready to use, twist the bag closed on top. Then pick the bag up until the tip swings freely down. If soap runs out of the tip, your batter is too thin. Reposition the frosting bag in the cup, tip up. Test it again in a few minutes.

What to do while you’re waiting for the frosting soap to get a bit thicker? Remain suited up, of course. Do 10 jumping jacks. Check the soap. Do an easy Sudoku or Crossword puzzle. Check the soap. Do a few sit-ups. Check the soap. Look at yourself in the mirror. Check out the safety goggles. And the flat abs. Check the soap. Stare at the soap frosting and will it to get thicker more quickly. Check the soap. Do the Macarena one time through. Don’t know it? Wait until after you finish your soap. There are some good videos of it on YouTube. Check the soap. It should be ready. It was probably ready a few activities back. Now that the soap is good and thick, like frosting, you can begin decorating.

Ruth used a Wilton Brand 2D Closed Star (this one from Bramble Berry is pretty close). She made swirls, roses and flowers with this tip. For the swirl, put a dollop of frosting in the center of the cupcake. Then squeeze the bag and move around the outside edge of the cupcake. Remember, we’re talking soap cupcakes and frosting here. Don’t lick your gloved fingers if you happen to spill a little. Continue to spiral in toward the middle of the cupcake. Make a pretty swoop at the top of the center.

The rose looks really complicated, but it’s not. But I suspect it takes a bit of practice. When asked whether she practiced piping frosting before piping real live soap, Ruth said she did, and that it helped her soap piping be better. So if you are the patient type, you might want to practice this rose on frosting before attempting it on soap. After all, if you mess up the frosting, you can eat the evidence.

Still using the 2D tip, start in the middle of the cupcake with a little circle of frosting. Not a blob, but a circle or dollop. Work your way out and around the cupcake. End by gently pulling the tip up where you started the outer circle. Use a stick or pick to poke down any spike that might remain after you pull the tip up.

For the flowers using the 2D tip, make little blobs all over the cupcake. Push the tip down and bring it straight up. Repeat until the flowers are piled as high as you’d like.

Ruth then switched to a different bag with a large round or star tip (similar to this one at Bramble Berry). With this, she made spirals, plops and wiggles.

For the plops, she did the same motion as for the flowers. For the spirals, she did the same motion as for the swirls. For the wiggles, she put the tip onto the cupcake. She began letting some soap out. Then she wiggled back and forth, keeping the tip down. I love the wiggles! So how to do you wash with a cupcake soap? Ruth had a fabulous solution. Cut the cupcake have vertically. Wash with the cut side. The outside will fit nicely in your hand. Genius. I heard attendees talking about pre-cutting the cupcakes for your customers. Anne-Marie Note: I have a cupcake soap in my shower right now and I hold the entire thing, frosting side down, in my hand to shower with. It eventually rounds out to a nice round bar of soap.

Can’t get enough cupcakes? Here are the top Soap Queen cupcake related tutorials:

How to Make Bath Bomb Cupcakes (Video)

Melt and Pour Cupcake (Mold) Tutorial

Bath Bomb Cupcakes, Day 1 and Day 2

Fluffy (Melt and Pour) Frosting Soap Cupcakes

Shea Butter Whipped Frosting Soap (Cold Process) Cupcakes

Whipped Soap Cupcakes Video

Foaming Bath Whip Cupcake Frosting

How to Frost the Perfect Bath Fizzy Cupcake (video)

Thanks so much, Ruth, for a fun, interesting and educational session!

The post HSCG Conference Guest Post: Cupcake Soaps appeared first on Soap Queen.