Chip and Joanna Gaines's signature refined-yet-rustic style touches every aspect of their new bakery, Silos Baking Co., but as soon as you walk through the doors, you'll give barely a second glance to the white subway tile walls, the #shiplap tees every employee wears or the "Muffins are cupcakes that believed in miracles" letter board sign. You'll be too entranced by the cupcakes.
All eight flavors come topped with a three-tiered swirl of frosting that's almost as tall as the cake itself. Some are garnished with gum paste magnolia leaves—a nod to the Gaines's Magnolia brand, since the bakery shares its address with their home decor store, Magnolia Market—while the Silobration's dusted with small, pearlized nonpareils, and the Cup o' Jo, is topped with a chocolate-covered espresso bean.
The finishing touches may vary, but the swirl itself remains consistent throughout the flavors. It's something you won't see unless you're an employee—or have a well-connected friend like Delish, who can get you behind the scenes—but the process itself is mesmerizing to watch.
Employees use a large, round pastry tip to get a steady flow of frosting, swirling it three times counterclockwise to create a soft serve-like tower of buttercream. The key, it seems, is to continue that circular motion as you ease up on the bag and lift away from the cupcake, giving it a slight curly-cue of a point on top—just like you'd find on an ice cream cone. (It's doubtful that Mister Softee inspired the swirl, but if you're trying to make a batch at home, it makes for a good visual cue.)
Check out the video above to see exactly how it's done, and if staring at all of those cupcakes makes you wish you could take a grand tour of Silos Baking Co., you're in luck: We've got that, too.
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