Who can say no to a cupcake? These yummy looking goodies are not only pretty to the eye, they are also a lovely way to pamper yourself. Now, it is hard to believe that these are not for you to eat, but trust us–you don’t want to take a bite out of these little cakes. They are for your body, not your tummy.
Bath bombs are made up of a few simple ingredients, along with essential oil for aromatherapy and almond oil to soften the skin. They fizz when you drop them in water and create a luxurious bath experience. But these are extra sweet because we added frosting with real powdered sugar. The sugar should not hurt you in this small amount. It is no different than using a nice warm sugar scrub in the bath.
Want to make your own? Here’s the recipe, along with a tutorial to help you avoid the problems we had as we were figuring this art out. Because it is an art, not a science, you should work in small batches (i.e. don’t double the recipe), and be prepared to tweak things to get them just right. All that said, they’re really not that hard! I promise!
Okay, let’s get started!
Bath Bomb Fizzy Recipe:
*2 c. baking soda
*1 c. citric acid (We found this in the bulk section at a local health food store)
*1 Tbsp. oil of your choice (We like almond oil, but grapeseed oil or even olive oil would work)
*5 drops fragrance/essential oil
*3-5 drops coloring (You can use food coloring, but it may fade quickly and even leave a ring around your bathtub. We used a special oil for bath products we found on Brambleberry.com.)
*1 tsp. Bentonite clay (optional–this just makes them harder; we found it here, too.)
*1 tsp. to 1 Tbsp. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (optional–this makes your bombs lather up, and we also found it here.)
*Witch hazel (poured into a spray bottle)
*Paper cupcake liners
*Silicone cupcake molds
1. Prepare your molds by placing a cupcake liner inside the silicone cupcake mold. It won’t fit perfectly–just shove it in.
2. Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and gently mix. Be careful not to inhale it!
3. Add fragrance to the dry mixture. Measure out the oil and place a few drops of color to it. Add it to the dry mixture. Gently mix.
4. While kneading the mixture with one hand, begin spraying the mix with the witch hazel. (We did this as a team, but one person can do it alone.) Be careful not to get the mixture too wet–the moisture will activate the citric acid and your bath bomb will be ruined. Continue to slowly spritz the mixture with witch hazel and squish it in your hands until it has the consistency of crumbly pie dough.
5. Quickly pack the mixture into your liners inside the silicone molds. You want it to be packed in tight. Allow the mixture to set in the silicone mold for at least 5-10 minutes before removing. Now let’s add some frosting to these bad boys.
6. Make your frosting.
Cupcake Bath Bomb Fizzy Frosting (Royal Icing Recipe):
*3 Tbsp. meringue powder (we like Wilton’s) or powdered egg whites (you can use real egg whites or egg white substitute, but we didn’t have very good luck with them)
*1 lb. (measured by weight) powdered sugar
*1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar
*5-6 Tbsp. warm water
*Few drops of color
*Glass bowl
*Hand mixer
Optional:
Few drops of fragrance
7. Mix meringue powder into warm water first in a GLASS bowl. Add cream of tartar and powdered sugar. Start beating on high. If your mixture feels like stiff cookie dough at this point, add another tablespoon of water. Beat for 7-9 minutes. Frosting is done when it forms stiff peaks and is thick and fluffy.
8. Add color and fragrance and beat until well mixed (one minute or less).
9. Spoon frosting into a disposable cake frosting bag with the cake decorating tip of your choice.
10. Frost your cupcake bath bombs however you like. Allow bath bombs to sit overnight to harden before packaging. Be sure to let your children, husband, or dog know these are NOT EDIBLE!
11. Package them in cellophane bags with pretty ribbons and tags for the perfect gift!
If you want to skip the frosting and do only a bath bomb, we suggest picking up a clear plastic ornament or soap molds at your local craft store. These make excellent bath bomb molds. Pack one half, then the other, then push them together. There should be a little of the mixture coming out the seam, and the two sides should be sticking together. Allow to set 10-15 minutes before removing from mold, and overnight before packaging.
The ladies of Little Birdie Secrets are regular contributors at Make and Takes. Their site was born from the crafting obsession of three friends living in the Pacific Northwest. Our mission is to share the wealth of fun projects and helpful tips we find in books, on the Internet, and sometimes in our own imaginations.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
These are so cute! They would make great gifts too. This is one I’m trying out for sure!
What a fabulous idea. Thanks for sharing. I’m definately going to be adding this one to my Christmas Craft list.
This is so cute! I love it! For sure going to try it!
You girls always come up with the most darling stuff. I like the concept of making bath bombs as cupcakes – seems so much easier than molding them into perfect spheres! Also, the frosting is sooo fun! :) And I heart Brambleberry.
Great tutorial and very cute bath bombs, thanks for sharing!
Those are so amazingly cute!
thats very nice!!!!!
Quick question…approximately how many “cupcakes” do you get out of 1 recipe? I was thinking of making these for the moms in our homeschool co-op, but want to make sure I plan for enough. Thanks for the super cute idea!!
Okay, dumb question award. :)
Is it okay to add the entire cupcake (icing included) to the bath? Or should the icing be removed?
lol, told you it was probably a dumb question.
I’m intrigued and really want to try these, thank you!
HI,
This batch made about 17 cupcakes. Of course, how many you make will depend on how much you pack into your cupcake liners, etc. 15 would be a good conservative number.
No, you don’t need to take the frosting off. It will eventually dissolve in the bath tub. It will not dissolve as fast as the bath bomb part so if it really bugs you, you can scoop it out after the bath bomb is all gone. I know that some folks worry about the sugar harming your body, but it is no different than a sugar body scrub.
I have a problem getting the icing to stay attached to the fizzy. What am I doing wrong. Any tips? Thanks.
Does anyone know how many this recipe makes? Or if you can use a regular muffin pan instead of silicone molds? Thanks!
@Little Birdie Secrets I have the same problem getting the icing to stay attached to the fizzy as @Darlene
help pls?
If your icing is too dry then it won’t stick. Try working with a little smoother/wetter icing. If all else fails, make up a batch of royal icing and “glue” the tops back on. I hope this helps.
Does the icing get hard as it sits overnight? I was just thinking about packaging…….
Yes, make sure the frosting has plenty of time to harden. Be careful because it may feel hard on the outside, but still be soft inside. Once it is hardened though it will be just fine.
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