Who can say no to a cupcake? Well, these yummy looking bath bomb cupcakes 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 bomb cupcakes 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!
Fizzy Bath Bomb Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients:
- 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 grape seed 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. You can use these all natural food colorings.
- 1 tsp. Bentonite clay (optional–this just makes them harder; find it here, too.)
- 1 tsp. to 1 Tbsp. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (optional–this makes your bombs lather up, you can find it here.)
- Witch hazel (poured into a spray bottle)
- Paper cupcake liners
- Silicone cupcake molds
Method:
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.
Bath Bomb Cupcakes 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 essential oil fragrance
Method for Icing:
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 essential oils for 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!
Fizzy Bath Bomb Balls
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.
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Does it have to be pure Witch Hazel? The link sends us to one with Aloe and rose water. Or does it even matter?
how much witch hazel is to be poured in the spray bottle?
This is so cute! I love it! For sure going to try it!
Thanks so much for sharing, not only the tutorial, but the list of ingredients. This looks like a fun project. Do these have a shelf life or should they be kept in the refrigerator until ready to use. I’d hate to think the sugar would make the frosting melt… if they sat around for any length of time.
Have any other ideas for frosting? I personally have had no luck with the meringue frosting.
Don’t suppose you know of any egg free soap frosting recipes? My daughter is allergic and goes into anaphylaxis if she touches egg white…
Does the frosting go moldy?
This is so cool I will be doing this
I love these!! I was wondering if there was anything I could add to the mix to make bubbles in the tub? I heard SLS isnt too great for u.
The icing on my cupcake bombs has little mildew spots after only 4 or 5 days????? What can I do to prevent this?
Going into business for yourself is not as easy as it looks.
This was great insight on these delicious looking pedi treats. Thanks for sharing. No need to pay the big bucks
I’ve kept some up to a year that were still fine! A month or two should be no problem.
how long do they last for? i would live to make them up at give a way but they would need to last at less a month or two.
These are so cute. My daughter and I will be giving this a go at the weekend as we are both creative. Thanks for sharing.
Great recipe and instructions! I’m excited to try this, but I’d like to not use the sugar. Is there anything else I can substitute for the sugar?
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.
Does the icing get hard as it sits overnight? I was just thinking about packaging…….
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.
@Little Birdie Secrets I have the same problem getting the icing to stay attached to the fizzy as @Darlene
help pls?
Does anyone know how many this recipe makes? Or if you can use a regular muffin pan instead of silicone molds? Thanks!
I have a problem getting the icing to stay attached to the fizzy. What am I doing wrong. Any tips? Thanks.
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.
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!
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!!
thats very nice!!!!!
Those are so amazingly cute!
Great tutorial and very cute bath bombs, thanks for sharing!
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.
This is so cute! I love it! For sure going to try it!
What a fabulous idea. Thanks for sharing. I’m definately going to be adding this one to my Christmas Craft list.
These are so cute! They would make great gifts too. This is one I’m trying out for sure!