Take your cupcake decorating skills to the next level with these impressive Minion cupcakes.

These Despicable Me cupcakes are ideal for kids' parties, bake sales, or as a special food gift for a Minions fan. Create a variety of different facial expressions with modeling fondant. If you want to give your cupcakes a little twist, scoop out the middle of each cupcake and spoon in some jam or lemon curd.

How to make minion cupcakes

Ingredients

• 120g yellow modeling paste
• 20g white modeling paste
• 10g blue fondant
• 10g black fondant
• 10g grey modeling paste (you can get grey by mixing a tiny amount of black fondant into the white modeling paste)
• 5g red fondant
• 5g chocolate or brown fondant
• A small strip of wafer paper
• White confetti sprinkles
• Silver edible paint
• Red edible ink pen

Minion cupcakes: Step 1

Choose a cutter that fits the size of your cupcakes so that the toppers can sit perfectly on top of your cakes. Victoria used a 58mm cutter.

Using a rolling pin with spacers if you have them, roll the yellow modelling out to 2mm thick and cut 12 x 58mm plain circles and leave them on a drying sponge or greaseproof paper. Ideally these toppers need overnight to set hard or they may droop on the cupcakes.

Minion cupcakes: Step 2

Using the 68 & 48mm scalloped cutters, cut one large scalloped circle and then one plain in the centre. Remove the centre piece of paste and using the plain writing nozzle, cut a hole in the centre of each scallop. If you find the nozzle is sticking use a touch of Trex or dip it into corn flour. Cut the circle on one side and open it out so you have one long strip of scallops to make the head dress for the maid minion.

Minion cupcakes: Step 3

To make the maid minion's hat, cut a strip of scallop and with the water brush stick along the top of the head, then roll the black fondant out and cut a thin strip to stick underneath.

Minion cupcakes: Step 4

For the maid's pinny use the 58mm cutter to cut a semi circle from the rolled black fondant and stick to the bottom of the topper. Cut a small rectangle for the top and 2 strips for the straps.

Cut a thin strip from the rolled white paste and stick along the top of the semi-circle, hiding the join. Using the scalloped cookie cutter and nozzle again cut a section for the pinny and stick it in the centre under the white strip. Make a small bow using the tiny decorations mould and stick at the top of the rectangle.

Minion cupcakes: Step 5

To make the feathers for the Village People-style minion, draw and cut 26 feathers (13 for each) from the strip of wafer paper. Feather them with the scissors by cutting diagonally towards the centre on each side of the feather.

With a damp water brush stick 11 feathers along the top of the topper, roll the white paste and cut a white strip to cover the bottom of the feathers. Then roll tiny red balls of red fondant and stick them along the top of the white strip. Finally, stick the last 2 feathers behind the end feather on each side, you may need to trim them to fit.

Minion cupcakes: Step 6

To make the dungarees, repeat the same steps as the pinny. Using the 58mm cutter, cut a semicircle from the rolled blue fondant and stick to the bottom of the topper.

Cut a small rectangle for the top and 2 strips for the straps. Roll 2 tiny black balls of fondant and stick them on for buttons, indenting the centre with the plain writing nozzle and adding stitching with a cocktail stick or pin tool.

Minion cupcakes: Step 7

To make the glasses, use the 33 & 23mm cutter for the larger glasses and then 23 & the 18mm cutter for the smaller ones. Cut a large circle, then using the smaller cutter cut the centres from the circles removing them as you go. Mix the silver lustre dust with white alcohol to make paint. Paint them silver.

Minion cupcakes: Step 8

To make the eyes, use the smaller circle cutters again, 23mm for the large eye and 18mm for the small. Cut a large white, smaller brown and tiny black sticking them on top of each other as you go.

Minion cupcakes: Step 9

You can add eye lids using the remainder of the yellow paste if you wish and then stick them on with a touch of water.

Minion cupcakes: Step 10

Stick the silver circles over the eyes for the glasses and make the black strips either side of the glasses using leftover black fondant. Make the mouths using the various sizes of circle cutters and rolled black fondant. Victoria used white confetti sprinkles broken in half for the teeth and the heart cutter for the tongue.

Minion cupcakes: Step 11

With the red edible ink pen, draw a pattern on the Village People-style minion's Indian head dress.

Minion cupcakes: Step 12

Leave your completed toppers to dry on a drying sponge or greaseproof paper overnight.

Once you're happy with them, make up a batch of 12 basic cupcakes and some basic buttercream and prepare your cupcakes. Pop the cupcake toppers on each cake and serve.

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Frozen cupcakes

Complete your jungle-themed party with these impressive lion cupcakes made in just eight easy steps.

These cupcakes are made using just five ingredients; modeling paste, fondant, sugar pearls, and clear noodles for the lion’s whiskers. If you can’t find coloured fondant, you could opt to colour white fondant with food colouring instead.

How to make lion cupcakes

Ingredients

• 120g brown modeling paste for the mane
• 60g orange fondant for the head
• 30g cream fondant for the chin
• Black sugar pearls for the eyes
• Chinese clear noodles for the whiskers

Lion cupcakes: Step 1

Make up a batch of our basic cupcakes and allow to cool.

Whip up our classic vanilla buttercream and either pipe a swirl onto the cakes or spread a layer with a palette knife.

Lion cupcakes: Step 2

Roll the brown modelling paste out to ¼ inch thick and cut 12x wavy circles. Using the nail scissors, snip around the edges and leave to dry on a sponge or greaseproof paper. You can keep the off-cuts of fondant under a glass to stop them from going dry.

Lion cupcakes: Step 3

Roll the orange fondant out and cut 12x hearts. Stick the hearts onto the top of the mane with a brush of water.

Lion cupcakes: Step 4

Roll the cream coloured fondant and cut 12x 23mm circles and stick over the bottom of the hearts with a brush of water.

Lion cupcakes: Step 5

Stick the black sugar pearls onto the head with a dot of water.

Lion cupcakes: Step 6

Cut a small triangle from the off-cuts of brown modelling paste and stick on for the nose. Using a cocktail stick, mark down from the centre of the nose, then using the smile tool or small cookie cutter press into to the fondant at the bottom of the line for a smile.

Lion cupcakes: Step 7

Cut the Chinese noodle to size and push into the cheeks. For the ears cut 12x 10mm circles and indent with a balling tool. Cut the circles in half and stick them to the top of the head with a brush of water.

Lion cupcakes: Step 8

Ice the cupcakes by piping or spreading the buttercream onto the tops. Place the toppers onto the iced cupcakes.

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Monkey cupcakes

These space cupcakes are ideal for a themed birthday party or as an extra special food gift.

The kids are going to love these impressive space cupcakes which are much easier to make than you may think. Ready to roll modeling paste and a steady hand, turn your cupcakes into out-of-this-world masterpieces.

How to make space cupcakes

Ingredients

• 160g of Navy modeling paste
• 20g of white modeling paste
• 30g of green modeling paste
• 30g of grey modeling paste
• 20g red modeling paste
• 5g of orange modeling paste
• 5g of yellow modeling paste
• Various Sprinkles
• Edible glue (you can make this by melting touch of fondant/paste with a few drops of water)
• Silver luster dust and white alcohol mixed to make paint

Space cupcakes: Step 1

Make a batch of our basic cupcakes. Leave to cool and top with our basic buttercream.

Space cupcakes: Step 2

These toppers can be made well in advance but they will need at least one night to dry. Mix the navy paste with the white making sure you don’t over mix so you get the nice white streaks. Roll and cut 12 x 65mm circles and place them onto a drying sponge.

Space cupcakes: Step 3

For the rocket, roll the green paste and cut a 55mm circle, then using the same cutter, cut sections away replacing the tip with red paste by using a sharp knife. Roll the red paste out and cut a 30mm circle, then cut it into quarters for the fins.

For the window, cut 2 13mm circle, removing the centre from one with the 6mm cutter. Stick one to the other with a brush of water.

For the engines, cut a thin strip and the 2 small triangles with the tops cut off and stick them to the bottom of the rocket. Assemble all the pieces onto the navy topper.

Space cupcakes: Step 4

Stick silver non-pareil around the window with a brush of water.

Space cupcakes: Step 5

For the flames, cut petal shapes, sticking onto each other graduating down to the yellow paste and roll over with the rolling pin, trim and stick to the bottom of the engines.

Space cupcakes: Step 6

For the moon cut 65mm circle cutting away a large part of the circle and sticking it onto the navy topper. Use the double ended ball tool to add texture and dust with pearlised lustre dust to give it a shine.

Space cupcakes: Step 7

For the galaxy topper, brush edible glue in a swirl in the centre and sprinkle with white sprinkles to the surface to stick. Add stars and different coloured sprinkles by dotting the glue and sticking them to the surface.

Space cupcakes: Step 8

Finally paint the grey parts on the rocket silver using silver lustre and white alcohol.

Space cupcakes: Step 9

Place the finished toppers onto the cupcakes.

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Ideal for children’s birthday parties, make these cute fairy cupcake toppers in just seven simple steps.

Top your cupcakes with these impressive toppers. Each fairy is made using modelling paste in a variety of different colours. You could also use ready-to-roll fondant too. This recipe uses a handful of different cake decorating tools including a scallop tool, piping nozzle and small circle cutters.

How to make fairy cupcake toppers

Ingredients

• 120g red modelling paste
• 100g white modelling paste
• 100g fondant
• 20g yellow modelling paste
• Various food colour
• Dusky pink petal dust
• Royal icing sugar
• A length of dry spaghetti

Fairy cupcake toppers: Step 1

Make up a batch of our basic cupcakes

and allow to cool.

Whip up our classic vanilla buttercream with a dash of pink food colour and either pipe a swirl onto the cakes or spread a layer with a palette knife.

Fairy cupcake toppers: Step 2

Roll the red modelling paste out to 1/8 of an inch thick and cut 12x 58 circles. Place them on a drying sponge or greaseproof paper to dry.

Roll 15g of white modelling paste out and cut various sized circle for the dots of the toadstool. Don’t worry if you don’t have small circle cutters, just roll small ball of paste and push them flat with the tip of your finger.

Fairy cupcake toppers: Step 3

Mix 100g of white fondant and 70g of modelling paste together.

To make the heads, colour 50g of the modelling paste/fondant skin tone with a touch of tangerine food colour, roll into a sausage and cut into 13, 12 for the heads and one for the arms, which you can put to one side.

Roll each piece into a ball and add the smiles, using the scallop tool, and black non-pareils for the eyes. Make a slight indent for the nose with the edge of a piping nozzle.

Once the heads are dry to the touch, add a little colour to their cheeks using the petal dust.

Fairy cupcake toppers: Step 4

Roll 15g of white modelling paste out and cut 12 butterflies for the wings. You can use a piping nozzle to cut small holes from the wings to give them a lacy effect.

Fairy cupcake toppers: Step 5

For the body, take 120g of paste and divide into 3 and colour as you wish - Victoria used violet, pink and sky blue. Divide each coloured paste into 4 (remembering to keep the other paste covered so it doesn’t go dry) and roll 4 small cones. Flatten the bottom of the cone by tapping on your table top a few times. Add and short piece of spaghetti to the centre of the cone to attach the head to.

With the leftover skin tone paste, roll small thin sausage shapes for the arms

Roll small thin sausages from leftover white modelling paste for the wand and cut 12x 5mm stars from the yellow modelling paste and stick the end of the wand.

Fairy cupcake toppers: Step 6

Brush a little water at the top of the cones and add the heads by pushing them onto the spaghetti. Stick the arms on either side of the body, the wings to the backs of the cones and  the wands across the fairies, using a brushes of water.

Roll 15g of yellow modelling paste for the hair and cut 12 daisy shapes. Stick the centre of the flower to the tops of the heads with a brush of water, arranging the petals to the side so you can the faces.

Fairy cupcake toppers: Step 7

Mix a tablespoon of royal icing sugar with a few drops of water to make a thick paste. Add a touch to the bottom of each fairy and stick to the centre of each toadstool. Add one toadstool to each iced cupcake.

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The kids will love these elephant cupcakes made with a variety of modelling paste including grey, sky blue and pink.

Perfect for kids’ parties, especially wildlife or circus themed ones, these elephant cupcakes are much easier to make than they look. These cupcakes are made with different cake decorating tools, which can be bought online or in most cake decorating specialised shops.

How to make elephant cupcakes

Ingredients

• 120g sky blue modelling paste
• 160g grey modelling paste
• 30g pink modelling paste
• 10g dark grey modelling paste
• Black sugar pearls for the eyes

Elephant cupcakes: Step 1

Make up a batch of our basic cupcakes and allow to cool. Whip up our classic vanilla buttercream and either pipe or a swirl onto the cakes or spread a layer with a palette knife.

Elephant cupcakes: Step 2

Roll the blue modelling paste to 2mm thick and cut 12x 68mm circles and leave them to dry on a drying sponge or greaseproof paper.

Elephant cupcakes: Step 3

Roll the grey fondant out to 2mm thick and cut 12x 53 mm circles for the heads, stick them to the blue topper with a brush of water.

Elephant cupcakes: Step 4

Roll the dark grey modelling paste out and cut 12x daisies for the tuft of hair and stick on with a tiny brush of water. Add the sugar pearls for eyes and then draw on the eyebrows with the edible ink pen.

Elephant cupcakes: Step 5

Add a smile to one side of the face with the PME scallop tool or the side of a spoon.

Elephant cupcakes: Step 6

For the trunk, take a small piece of grey modelling paste and roll a sausage shape, flatten it at one end with your thumb and add two lines across the centre with your pin tool or cocktail stick. Stick them to the face with a brush of water.

Elephant cupcakes: Step 7

For the ears, roll the pink modelling paste out to 2mm thick and cut 12x 33mm wavy circles. Using the round side of the cutter, cut the wavy circle in half, leaving the shape round at the top and wavy at the bottom, then use the 53 mm cutter to cut a section away for the head.

Elephant cupcakes: Step 8

Stick to the sides of the head with a brush of water and pop 2 pieces of kitchen towel under the ears until they are dry, this probably takes about 15 minutes. Using the off cuts of pink modelling paste, add cheeks by cutting 5mm circles and sticking them on with a brush of water.

Elephant cupcakes: Step 9

Place the finished topper on the cupcakes.

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The kids are going to love these bee cupcakes. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes using simple cake decorating tools.

These bee cupcakes are made by cupcake decorating expert Victoria Threader. Victoria says; “Fondant and modelling paste can be found in most supermarkets in the cake decorating aisle. If you’re unable to find coloured fondant you could colour white fondant yourself using food colouring.”

How to make bee cupcakes

Ingredients

• 200g yellow fondant (or white fondant coloured with yellow food colouring)
• 40g black fondant
• 10g white fondant
• 30g white modelling paste
• Black sugar pearls
• Black edible food colour pen
• 1tbsp royal icing sugar and a few drop of water
• Rose petal dust

Bee cupcakes: Step 1

Make up a batch of our basic cupcakes and allow to cool.

Bee cupcakes: Step 2

Whip up our classic vanilla buttercream and spread a layer on the cupcakes with a palette knife.

Bee cupcakes: Step 3

Roll the yellow fondant to 1/8” thick and cut 12x 68mm circles, placing them over the buttercream, smoothing to a dome with the tips of your fingers.

Bee cupcakes: Step 4

Roll the black fondant to 1/16” thick and cut 1cm strips for the stripes.

Bee cupcakes: Step 5

Lay 3 black strips over the yellow fondant. You can bow the stripes slightly to give it a round effect. Trim the ends with a sharp knife.

Bee cupcakes: Step 6

For the eyes, roll 10g of white fondant and cut 24x 5mm circles for the eyes. Use a brush of water to stick the eyes onto the cakes and then the black sugar pearls for the pupils.

Bee cupcakes: Step 7

For the wings, roll the white modelling paste quite thin, about 1mm, and cut 24x heart shapes. Stick one on top of the other, making sure you can see the back heart, this gives you a 3D effect. Leave to dry on a drying sponge or greaseproof paper for about 30 minutes.

Bee cupcakes: Step 8

Draw a little smile onto the face with an edible black food marker.

Bee cupcakes: Step 9

To stick the wings on, mix the royal icing sugar together with a few drops of water to make a thick paste. Put a blob at the top of the bee where you would like the wings to go, leave it to dry for about 3 minutes then stick the wings on.

Bee cupcakes: Step 10

Finish your cupcakes with rose petal dust cheeks using a small paint brush. Leave the cakes to dry fully before serving them or turning them on their sides.

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Wrap with a bow and give these baby girl cupcakes as a food gift to celebrate the new arrival. Ideal for baby showers too.

Just like our baby boy cupcakes, these cupcakes are made by cake decorator Victoria Threader. Victoria says; “This recipe makes four baby faces, four bibs, and four announcement cupcakes, but you can mix and match or just make one design on all 12 cakes if you could like.”

How to make baby girl cupcakes

Ingredients

• 125g pink modelling paste
• 125g white modelling paste
• 30g skin tone
• Black sugar pearls
• Edible pens
• Black sugar pearls
• Rose petal dust

Baby girl cupcakes: Step 1

Make up a batch of our basic cupcakes and allow to cool.

Whip up our classic vanilla buttercream and either pipe a swirl onto the cakes or spread a layer with a palette knife.

Baby girl cupcakes: Step 2

Start by making the bonnet. To do this you will need to roll out the pink modelling paste until 1/16 of an inch thick. Emboss the fondant with the woollen texture mat tool by placing it, ridges down, and rolling over it with a rolling pin.


Once you’ve added texture, cut 4x 68mm wavy circles for the bonnet and leave them on a drying sponge or greaseproof paper.

Now it’s time to move onto the face. Roll the skin coloured modelling paste to 1/6 of an inch thick and cut 4x 52mm circles for the face. Attach the face to the bonnet using a dab of water.

Baby girl cupcakes: Step 3

Use the 5mm circle cutter to cut eyes from the white modelling paste, cutting and then flattening with the tip of your finger before sticking it on the face.

Use the same cutter to cut blue circles but don’t flatten these, just stick them with a brush of water onto the white circles, adding black sugar pearl to the centre.

Baby girl cupcakes: Step 4

Roll a small ball of skin tone fondant and stick to the center of the face with a bit of water to make the news. If you have one, use the scallop tool to create the smile (you could use the side of a spoon if you don't). Make the bow, using a tiny bow mould and press it into white modelling paste, using water to attach. Add a touch of rose petal dust with a soft brush to the cheeks.

Baby girl cupcakes: Step 5

To make the ‘It’s a girl’ embossed topper, start by preparing and making the bunting. Cut tiny triangles from the white modelling paste and decorate with edible pens. Leave to dry for about 5 mins. Make the bunting string by rolling out a thin sausage of white modelling paste.

Baby girl cupcakes: Step 6

Make the ‘It’s a girl’ by using the embossed tool. Roll out the pink modelling paste until 1/6 of an inch thick and press down the embossed tool. Cut around the writing with using a 52mm circle cutter. Make the white edges by cutting 4x 68mm wavy circles.

Place the embossed pink toppers onto the white ones and stick down with a few dabs of water. Add the bunting and string using water too – you can trim the ends of the modelling paste string if it hangs over.

Paint the embossed letters using silver lustre dust and white alcohol. Leave this topper to one side to dry on a drying sponge or greaseproof paper.

Baby girl cupcakes: Step 7

To make the bib cupcake toppers, you will need to roll out some pink modelling paste to 1/6 of an inch thick and cut out 4x 68mm wavy circles. Next, roll the white modelling paste and cut 4x 52mm circles. Stick the white fondant onto the pink using water – this is your topper base.

Next make the bibs by rolling out some pink modelling paste 1/6 of an inch thick cutting out 4x 50mm scalloped ovals using the cutter. Roll the white paste out 1/6 of an inch and cut 4x 30mm plain ovals. Stick with white fondant onto the pink using water.

Make the tiny holes by using a cocktail stick. Finish the bib by cutting a section away with the 30mm oval cutter (see picture) push the two ends toward each other to make the neck of the bib. Attach to the topper base using water.

To make the bow, roll a tiny ball of pink and stick it onto the join at the top of the bib. Roll 2 tiny sausage shapes and mark them using a cocktail stick. Stick each piece of fondant with water either side of the joint.

Baby girl cupcakes: Step 8

Place the finished toppers onto the iced cupcakes and present in a pretty cupcake gift box with a pink ribbon.

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Baby shower recipes

These cute baby boy cupcakes are ideal for baby showers, or as celebratory cupcakes to welcome the new arrival.

These cupcakes are by cupcake decorating expert Victoria Threader. Victoria says; “Just like our baby girl cupcakes, these cupcake toppers can be made weeks in advance as long as they are kept in a breathable cardboard cake box. If you keep them in a standard Tupperware box, they’ll sweat and won’t look as pretty.”

How to make baby boy cupcakes

Ingredients

• 125g blue modelling paste
• 125g white modelling paste
• 30g skin tone fondant
• Black sugar pearls
• Edible pens
• Black sugar pearls
• Rose petal dust

Baby boy cupcakes: Step 1

Make up a batch of our basic cupcakes and allow to cool.

Whip up our classic vanilla buttercream and either pipe a swirl onto the cakes or spread a layer with a palette knife.

Baby boy cupcakes: Step 2

To make the bonnet, roll the blue modelling paste out to 1/6 of an inch thick and emboss with the woollen texture mat by rolling your rolling pin over the top of the pattern onto the paste.

Cut 4x 68mm wavy circles for the bonnet and place them on a drying sponge or greaseproof paper.

Baby boy cupcakes: Step 3

Roll the skin tone fondant out to 1/6 of an inch thick and cut 4x 52mm circles for the face.

Baby boy cupcakes: Step 4

Use the 5mm circle cutter to cut eyes from the white modelling paste, cutting and then flattening with the tip of your finger before sticking it on the face.

Use the same cutter to cut blue circles but don’t flatten these, just stick them with a brush of water onto the white circles, adding black sugar pearl to the centre.

Baby boy cupcakes: Step 5

For the nose, roll a small ball of skin tone fondant and stick in the centre of the face, and then use the scallop tool to add a smile.

With a brush of water, stick the faces to the bonnet. Mould a bow using the tiny decorations mould and stick under the chin. Finally blush the cheeks with the rose petal dust and a soft brush.

Baby boy cupcakes: Step 6

To make the ‘It’s a boy’ topper, roll the white modelling paste out to 1/6 of an inch thick and cut 4x 68mm wavy circles.

Roll the blue modelling paste out to 1/6 of an inch thick and lightly grease the top of the paste and the embossing stamp, stamp the ‘It’s a boy’ onto the top of the fondant and the use the 52mm circle cutter to cut around the words, making sure the words are at the bottom.

If you don't have an embossing stamp you could carve the words onto the fondant with a sharp knife or edible ink pen.

Baby boy cupcakes: Step 7

To make the bunting, cut tiny triangles and colour with the edible pens and leave to dry. Roll tiny sausage shapes for the string of the bunting, sticking with a touch of water along the top of the circle, trimming at the ends. Stick on the triangles, once dried.

Baby boy cupcakes: Step 8

Paint the embossed words using silver lustre dust mixed with white alcohol, and then stick the blue circle onto the white wavy circles and leave to dry on the drying sponge or greaseproof paper.

Baby boy cupcakes: Step 9

For the bibs, roll the blue modelling paste out to 1/6 of an inch thick and cut 4x 68mm wavy circles. Roll the white modelling paste and cut 4x 52mm circles and stick onto the blue.

Roll the blue modelling paste out and cut 4x 50mm scalloped ovals. Roll the white modelling paste out and cut 4x 30mm plain ovals and stick on to the blue.

To make the tiny holes, push in a pin tool or cocktail stick into all the scallops. Cut a section away with the 30mm oval cutter. Push the 2 top ends around at the top and stick on the white topper.

To make the bow, roll a tiny ball of pink paste and stick it onto the join at the top, then roll 2 tiny sausages and mark with a cocktail stick and stick to either side of the ball of paste for the bow effect.

Finish by cutting out 4x 10mm hearts and stick them onto the bibs.

Baby boy cupcakes: Step 10

Place the finished toppers onto the iced cupcakes and enjoy.

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These butterfly cake toppers are made with both white and dark chocolate. This recipe makes 12 toppers.

Delicately pipe dark chocolate wings and fill with white chocolate coloured with pink petal dust. Leave to set to create impressive and edible butterfly wings, perfect for popping on top of cupcakes. These butterfly cake toppers would be great on top of birthday cakes or special occasion bakes too.

How to make butterfly cake toppers

Ingredients

• 200g of dark chocolate (50% cocoa solid)
• 200g of white chocolate (cook’s Belgium white choc from Sainsbury’s)
• Pink petal dust

Butterfly cake toppers: Step 1

Make up a batch of our basic cupcakes and allow to cool.

Butterfly cake toppers: Step 2

Melt 200g of dark chocolate in the microwave on 20 second bursts until its smooth.

Butterfly cake toppers: Step 3

Place a piece of greaseproof paper on top of a chopping board and draw on butterfly wings. You can use an edible food ink pen to do this, if you have one.

Butterfly cake toppers: Step 4

Add the melted dark chocolate to a small piping bag, cut a tiny hole in the end of the bag and pipe the outline of the wings. Make sure you pipe them quite thick or they will break, you need to apply quite a lot of pressure to get a thick outline. Pop the wings in the fridge/freezer for 15 minutes to set.

Butterfly cake toppers: Step 5

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave on 20 second bursts until smooth and add the rose pink petal dust. Mix until the colour is even and add it to the piping bag.

Butterfly cake toppers: Step 6

Cut a tiny hole in the end of the bag, remove the wings from the fridge/freezer and fill in the centres. Use a tooth pick to get to the edges by swirling it in small circles. Once all the wings are filled in, give the chopping board a couple of taps on the work surface to even out the chocolate.

Butterfly cake toppers: Step 7

Using the dark chocolate again, add detail in the pink chocolate. If the chocolate has set in the bag, just pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds to melt it again (make sure your bag is microwave safe first). Pop the wings back in the fridge/freezer to set - this should take about an hour.

Butterfly cake toppers: Step 8

Make an ‘M’ shape by folding tin foil. Remove the wings from the fridge/freezer and place in the centre of the tin foil ‘M’ one wing on each side meeting in the middle.

Using the dark chocolate, pipe large pearls all the way down the centre of where the wings meet and pop them back in the fridge/freezer.

Butterfly cake toppers: Step 9

While the wings are setting, whip up our classic vanilla buttercream and either pipe a swirl onto the cakes or spread a layer with a palette knife.

To create this swirl, use a Wilton 1M nozzle. Start in the centre, working your way out to the paper applying quite a lot of pressure as you pipe. Pipe 3 times around and stop in the centre, releasing the pressure, pushing down slightly, and then pulling up quickly.

Butterfly cake toppers: Step 10

After 30 minutes add a butterfly topper to each iced cake.

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If your child is a fan of the film Frozen, they’re going to love these Frozen cupcakes.

From Anna to Olaf, you can make your very own cartoon-style Frozen cupcakes with our step-by-step recipe. Each cake topper is made with a mixture of modeling paste and fondant. This recipe makes 12 cupcake decorations – two of each character and six buttercream-swirl cupcakes; ideal for kids' parties and birthdays.

How to make Frozen cupcakes

Ingredients

• 100g ice blue modeling paste
• 20g chocolate fondant
• 20g light yellow fondant
• 20g white fondant
• 10g black fondant
• 10g skin tone fondant
• 2g orange fondant
• Neon blue and white sanding sugar (we used Dr Oetker)
• White nonpareils
• Dusky pink petal dust

Frozen cupcakes: Step 1

Make your batch of 12 cupcakes using our cupcake recipe. Divide the mixture into the cupcake cases by using an ice cream scoop. This will ensure all the cupcakes are the same size. Leave to cool on a wire rack while making the toppers.

Frozen cupcakes: Step 2

Roll the ice blue modelling paste out to 2mm thick. The Wilton rolling pin comes with spacers, these are rings that fit onto the rolling pin to make sure you get an even thickness of modelling paste.

Emboss with the snowflake embossing mat by placing the mat over the paste and then rolling over the top with the rolling pin, then cut 6 x 58mm circles. Place them to dry on a drying sponge or some greaseproof paper.

Frozen cupcakes: Step 3

Roll 3 long sausages of chocolate fondant and plait them. You’ll need the plait to be about 7cm long.

Frozen cupcakes: Step 4

Roll out the skin-tone fondant and cut a 43mm circle for the heads and stick them onto the blue discs with a brush of water. Use the 30mm circle cutter to add the smile by pushing it into the fondant and add dimples at the end of the smile with the small ball tool.

Roll a tiny ball of skin-tone paste for the nose and stick it on with a brush of water. Cut the plait in half and stick to either side of the head. Score the bottom of the plaits with a sharp knife to make it look tied at the ends.

Frozen cupcakes: Step 5

Using the 43mm circle cutter, cut a circle and then cut it into strips and add it to the top of the head for a fringe.

Frozen cupcakes: Step 6

Repeat the same steps for the blonde face but just make a smaller plait and stick it only to one side of the head. Roll skinny sausage shapes for the hair and shape them up and over the top of the head. Use one of the snowflake sprinkles as a bow at the end of the plait.

Frozen cupcakes: Step 7

To add the eyes, roll tiny balls of fondant. Starting with the white, then blue, then black, sticking them on top of one another, pushing them flat with your finger and then adding a tiny white dot as a reflection to finish.

To add cheeks, dust with dusky pink petal dust, but make sure the face is dry before or the dust will be patchy.

Frozen cupcakes: Step 8

For the snowman, cut a 43mm circle of white fondant and, using the same cutter, trim the sides off to make it more of an oval shape.

Frozen cupcakes: Step 9

Stick this to the blue disc with a brush of water and add eyes (using small balls of fondant pushed flat with your finger), rolled tiny sausage shapes for hair/eyebrows, and roll a tiny carrot nose.

Cut another 43mm circle and cut it into half for the mouth.

Frozen cupcakes: Step 10

Stick the semi-circle under the nose and then cut a small rectangle for the teeth. Then cut a smaller semi-circle for the body, sticking a black ball on for the button and rolling long thin sausage shaped for the arms and cutting them twice at the end for fingers.

Once all the heads are done leave them to dry overnight on a sponge or a cardboard cake box.

Frozen cupcakes: Step 11

Roll the blue modelling paste out to 2mm thick and cut 6 x snowflakes using the 20mm snowflake cutter.

Frozen cupcakes: Step 12

Make up some buttercream using our reduced-sugar buttercream recipe and use it to ice the cupcakes using a Wilton 1M nozzle, starting in the centre and working your way up into a point. Add sprinkles and the white nonpareil, popping the blue snowflakes onto the top to finish them off.

Frozen cupcakes: Step 13

Once completely dry, add the toppers to the cupcakes and serve.

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Frozen birthday cakes

These creative Minecraft cupcakes are by cupcake expert and cake decorator Victoria Threader.

The kids are going to love these Minecraft cupcakes simply made with modelling paste or ready-to-roll fondant icing. Victoria says; "You'll need to make these Minecraft cake toppers the night before you need them, as they will take about 12 hours to dry, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time beforehand." This recipe makes 12 toppers, which can top 12 regular cupcakes. Victoria uses our basic cupcake recipe.

How to make Minecraft cupcakes

Ingredients

• 10g yellow modelling paste
• 20g white modelling paste
• 20g green modelling paste
• 20g pink modelling paste
• 15g black modelling paste
• 10g brown modelling paste
• 10g red modelling paste
• 10g beige modelling paste
• 5g dark green modelling paste
• 2.5g dark purple modelling paste
• 2.5g light purple modelling paste
• 2g orange modelling paste
• Cornflour for dusting

Minecraft cupcakes: Step 1

Start by rolling the paste out to 4mm thick and cut a square 5cm x 5cm. Use the measurements on the cutting board or you could also use a ruler. The squares weighed roughly 8g each so you can save the excess to make the stacking squares, just remember to keep the extra paste covered in clingfilm so it doesn’t dry out.

Minecraft cupcakes: Step 2

To emboss squares, use a wooden coffee stirrer, pushing it into the paste carefully, making sure you don’t go all the way through the paste. You could also use the blunt edge of a knife, anything with a nice straight edge. This will create an illusion of cut squares and will save you cutting so many out.

Minecraft cupcakes: Step 3

Once you have embossed all the squares, leave them to dry on a drying sponge or greaseproof paper.

Minecraft cupcakes: Step 4

Once the bases have dried a little (after an hour or so) you can then build the squares up in the various colours. Use the square cutters, but you can cut them by hand by measuring with a ruler.

Minecraft cupcakes: Step 5

Use the 4.5mm cutter for the eyes and mouth on the faces.

Minecraft cupcakes: Step 6

To cut the ‘TNT’ roll and cut the letter from the black modelling paste. If anything starts to stick, give it a dust with some cornflour. Add the ‘TNT’ to the toppers by sticking them with a brush of water.

Minecraft cupcakes: Step 7

Once you have finished all your designs, leave them to air dry overnight (about 12 hours)

Minecraft cupcakes: Step 8

The next day, bake your cupcakes and once they are completely cool add a grass nozzle to a small piping.

Minecraft cupcakes: Step 9

Add the piping bag to a tall glass and then fill with your green buttercream.

Minecraft cupcakes: Step 10

To pipe the grass – Push all the air up out of the piping bag and twist the piping bag at the top of the icing. Pipe the grass by applying pressure to the piping bag, pipe onto the cake by piping a bit, lifting the nozzle up and then releasing the pressure and pulling up quickly. Repeat this until all the cupcakes are covered.

Minecraft cupcakes: Step 11

Place the dried toppers onto your cakes.

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These 1st birthday cupcakes would make the perfect gift for a baby’s 1st birthday or a themed treat if you’re throwing a party for your little one.

You can swap the blue modeling paste for pink for a girl or cream for a neutral tone – the choice is yours. We’ve used chocolate cupcakes for the base of these cupcakes but you can use a different cupcake recipe if preferred.

How to make 1st birthday cupcakes

Ingredients

• 80g brown modeling paste
• 80g light blue modeling paste
• 40g green modeling paste
• 30g skin tone modeling paste
• 5g white modeling paste for the eyes and cupcake
• 2g black fondant
• 2g yellow fondant
• 1 batch of our chocolate cupcakes recipe
• Cornflour for dusting

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 1

Start by colouring your modelling paste. To get these colours we used Sugarflair’s dark brown, baby blue, gooseberry and a touch of tangerine for the skin tone. When you are adding the colour, start slowly using a bit of paste colour on the end of a cocktail stick and work your way up until you have the desired colour. Remember you can add but you can’t take it out, so be careful.

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 2

Roll the brown modelling paste out to 1.5mm thick and cut 8 x 68mm scalloped circles.

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 3

Roll the blue modelling paste out to 1.5mm and cut 8 x 58mm circles with the cookie cutter and, using the water brush lightly, stick the blue circles to the brown scalloped circles.

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 4

For the '1st' cake topper, roll the green modelling paste out to 1.5mm thick and cut a 20mm x 40mm strip. Then using the sharp knife cut the corner off the top and a section from one side away to make the number '1' shape. Using another smaller strip, add that along the bottom for the base. To decorate emboss, the number one by pressing the writing piping nozzle into the paste to make dots and then stick to the topper with a brush of water.

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 5

To cut the ‘st’ for the 1st, dust your surface and the cutter with a little cornflour. Roll and cut a small rectangle of brown modelling paste and leave to dry for 10 minutes, then cut the letters out. If the letters get stuck in the cutter use a soft brush to tease them out, this way you won’t mark the letters. Stick the letters next to the number one with a brush of water.

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 6

For the mini cupcake topper, roll the green modelling paste out to 1.5mm thick and cut a 58mm scalloped circle. Trim a cupcake paper case shape out of the top and emboss the lines with the cocktail stick.

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 7

For the candle, roll one green and one blue thin sausage. Roll them together from one end, twisting as you go. Trim to size.

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 8

For the cupcake icing, roll the white modelling paste out into a long thin sausage shape, make it into a swirl shape as pictured, then use a brush of water to stick it to the top of the blue circle. Add the candle and flame, then stick the cupcake cases under the icing.

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 9

For the baby face, roll the skin tone modelling paste and cut 4 x 58mm circles with the plain side of the cookie cutter. Add a smile by pushing the edge of the cutter into the paste. Add tiny balls of paste for the nose by sticking them on with a dot of water.

For the eyes, roll small balls of white paste and push them flat with the tip of your finger, repeat with a smaller ball of blue then a tiny ball of black and stick them onto one another, pushing down to flatten them with the tip of your finger.

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 10

For the hat, roll the blue paste and cut 4 x 58mm circles, then cut one third from the top with a sharp knife.

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 11

Stick the hat to the head with a brush of water, then roll the green modelling paste out to 2mm thick and cut a strip for the rim of the hat. Stick this on with a brush of water then, using a cocktail stick, emboss along the edge of the rim.

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 12

To make the button for the hat, roll a ball of brown modelling paste and push it flat with the tip of your finger. Emboss the outside rim with the plain piping nozzle, then using the writing nozzle add two button holes and stick it to the hat with a dot of water.

1st birthday cupcakes: Step 13

Brush the cheeks with the dusky pink petal dust and a soft brush. Make sure the paste is dry before you dust the cheeks or it will stick and look blotchy.

Leave the toppers to dry fully over night before placing them onto the cupcakes.

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Learn how to make fondant frogs in just six simple steps with this recipe.

Vibrant blue buttercream, a fondant lilypad, and fondant reeds make these frog cupcakes look realistic. Why not add a yellow fondant crown to turn your frog into a prince. These cute little frog cake toppers would work perfectly on top of a large cake too.

Ingredients

• 140g of dark green modeling paste
• 120g of fondant and 120g of modeling paste mixed together and coloured gooseberry
• 30g of pink modeling paste
• 30g of chocolate fondant
• 3 strands of dried spaghetti
• Black sugar pearls
• 30g of white fondant
• 1 batch of our basic cupcakes
• 1 batch of our basic buttercream, coloured blue

Frog cupcakes: Step 1

Bake a batch of 12 cupcakes using our basic cupcake recipe above. Make some buttercream and add the blue food colouring. Pipe onto each cupcake.

Frog cupcakes: Step 2

The night before you need them (or longer as they keep really well in a cardboard cake box), colour and roll the dark green modelling paste. Don’t mix the colour in fully so you get a nice leafy pattern through the paste. Cut 12x 58mm circles and cut a triangle out of the edge.

Frog cupcakes: Step 3

To make the lily roll and cut 1 large and 2 small daisies per topper.  Using a tiny ball of the gooseberry paste stick it in the centre of one of the small daisies, using your water brush wet around the sides of the ball and lift the petals up to stick to the sides, glue this to the other small daisy and then to the larger one. Using a pin tool mark the green centre with a few holes.

Frog cupcakes: Step 4

For the frog you will need a medium ball of gooseberry fondant/paste. Make the smile using the edge of the circle cutter. Cut one small and one medium daisy from the gooseberry fondant/paste and cut the medium daisy in half for the back legs and the small daisies trimmed for the front legs. You’ll also need 2 small white balls of white fondant for the eyes with black sugar pearls stuck to the centre.

Frog cupcakes: Step 5

To make the reeds  roll small sausages of chocolate fondant and wetting the end with a water brush push on to small strands of spaghetti. Trim to the desired height and push into the buttercream.

Frog cupcakes: Step 6

Assemble the frog by sticking it to the topper with a brush of water and add the lily. Leave to dry on a drying sponge overnight, or in a breathable card box. Place the finished toppers on each cupcake.

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These princess cupcakes are much easier to make than you may think made with Rice Krispie treats and ice cream cones.

Perfect for kids’ themed birthday parties or as an impressive food gift, these princess cupcakes can be made ahead of time. The princess castle cake topper is made with Rice Krispie treats, the princess hat is made with an ice cream cone and the mirror is made purely from fondant.

How to make princess cupcakes

Ingredients

• 4 Rice Krispie treat bars
• 100g dark pink modeling paste
• 10g light purple modeling paste
• 10g white modeling paste
• 20g grey modeling paste
• 5g green modeling paste
• 50g white ready-to-roll fondant
• 4 ice cream cones
• Sugar pearl sprinkles
• Edible silver leaf/silver paint
• 2mm gold sugar balls

Princess cupcakes: Step 1

Cut 8x 30mm circles out of the Rice Krispie treats. Stick 2 circles together and repeat to create 4 towers.

Princess cupcakes: Step 2

Roll the white fondant and emboss with the brick embosser. If you don’t have an embosser you can use a knife or pizza cutter to make the pattern. Cut to size, brush the back of the fondant with water and stick around the Rice Krispie treat towers.

Princess cupcakes: Step 3

Roll out the pink modelling paste and cut 4 strips and cut small squares from the top of the strip.

Princess cupcakes: Step 4

Stick around the tops of the towers with a little water. Cut 4x 30mm circles from the pink paste to cover the top of the towers.

Princess cupcakes: Step 5

Using an oval cutter, cut an oval from the pink paste and trim and emboss to make a door. Add a gold sugar ball for the handle and stick the door to the castle with a brush of water. For the windows, cut small rectangles and stick them on with a brush of water.

Princess cupcakes: Step 6

For the ivy, roll the green paste into thin sausage shapes and stick on with a brush of water. Cut small blossom flowers from the pink and purple paste and add a gold sugar ball for the centre. Stick the blossom flowers around the ivy with a brush of water.

Roll the grey modelling paste out to 1/6 of an inch thick and cut 4x 38mm circles. Stick the castles onto the grey circles with a brush of water and pop a paper flag in the top to finish them off.

Princess cupcakes: Step 7

Trim the bottom off the ice cream cones. Roll the pink modelling paste, brush the back of the paste with a touch of water and wrap the paste around the ice cream cones, tucking the remainder up in to the cone. Stick 3 blossom flowers onto the hat with a brush of water. Roll the white modelling paste out quite thinly and cut a thin strip. Stick to the top of the hat, twisting the strip after you glued the top. Repeat with the pink and purple strips.

Princess cupcakes: Step 8

Roll the remainder of the pink paste cut 4 larger scalloped ovals and then using the plain side of the smaller oval cutter, cut the centres out.

Princess cupcakes: Step 9

Cut 4 smaller scalloped ovals from the white paste and cover with edible silver leaf or paint with edible silver paint. Stick the pint border around the silver oval.

Princess cupcakes: Step 10

Stick the edible pearls around the scalloped edge with a dot of water.

Princess cupcakes: Step 11

Cut a handle shape and emboss with an embossing stick, then stick to the back of the mirror and leave to dry on greaseproof paper.

Princess cupcakes: Step 12

Make up a batch of our basic cupcakes and allow to cool.

Whip up our classic vanilla buttercream and either pipe a swirl onto the cakes or spread a layer with a palette knife.

Princess cupcakes: Step 13

When all the toppers have set (leave for an hour or so) add them to the tops of the iced cupcakes.

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Make these cute little bunting cupcakes by following our step-by-step picture recipe. Our cupcake queen Victoria Threader demonstrates how to make bunting for your cupcakes in two different ways.

Perfect for parties, Jubilee or VE Day celebrations, or any birthday bash!

Ingredients for bunting cupcakes

• 1x batch of basic cupcakes
• ½ a batch of buttercream
• 150g white fondant
• 35g coloured fondant. 5g for each colour of bunting.

Step 1

Bake your cupcakes and cool them in the tin for 10 minutes before cooling them completely on a wire rack. Once completely cool, spread the buttercream on the tops of the cupcakes avoiding icing right up to the paper cases as it can sometimes squish over the sides if you do.

Step 2

Roll the white fondant out to 2mm thick and cut 12 x 68mm (about 12g each) circles for the tops.

Step 3

Lay the fondant circles over the iced cupcakes and smooth the edges with the tips of your fingers.

Step 4

Colour your fondant with your chosen food colour paste or use ready coloured fondant.

Step 5

There are a couple of ways to make bunting. The first is to cut a 1cm wide strip of coloured fondant and use the markings on your board or a ruler to cut even triangles.

Step 6

The other way is if you have a star cutter, approximately 4cm wide. Roll the coloured fondant out to 2mm thick and cut a star shape, then using a sharp knife cut the points off. This ensures all the bunting is the same size and is quite a quick way of making them too.

Step 7

Using the water brush stick the triangles on the tops of the cupcakes to make the bunting.

Step 8

Roll long thin sausages for the bunting string and with the water brush stick along the top of the triangles.

Step 9

Your cupcakes are now ready to be served.

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Red velvet cupcakes

This recipe makes one 3 inch tall fondant cat, ideal to decorate cakes or cupcakes. With their inquisitive expressions and cute whiskers, these little cake toppers make perfect party decorations for kids’ birthdays or novelty bakes.

Experiment with the colours to suit whatever you’re making and just remember to increase the quantities of icing if you want to make more than one.

Ingredients

• 65g black fondant
• 5g white fondant
• 1g pink fondant
• 1g green fondant
• Chinese clear noodles
• Edible gold and caramel food colouring
• White alcohol
• Strand of dried spaghetti

Step 1

Using 40g of black fondant, mould a pear shape and push a piece of spaghetti into the centre as a support for the head. Roll a 20g ball of black fondant into a sphere, for the head.

Step 2

Using the vein tool or cocktail stick, draw legs onto the front of the body. Roll 2 small balls of fondant for the paws and draw toes by adding 3 lines into the front of the feet.

For the tail, roll a long thin sausage shape and taper the end to a point for the tail. Using a brush of water, stick it onto the back of the body, curling it up to rest into a curl on a pot, or something similar, until the tail has dried in place.

Step 3

For the cheeks, roll 2 small balls of white fondant and squash flat with the tip of your finger and do the same with the coloured fondant for the eyes. Repeat with smaller dots of black fondant for the pupils.

For the bib, roll a piece of white fondant and cut triangles out for the fur. Cut a small triangle from the pink fondant for the nose.

Step 4

Stick the cut fondant around the neck with a brush of water.

Step 5

Stick the eyes, cheeks and the nose. Add 2 small black triangles for the ears; you can use the vein tool or cocktail stick to make the earholes. Cut short lengths of the Chinese noodles for the whiskers and poke them into the cheeks. You can emboss a few dots to add texture too.

Step 6

If you decide to make a different colour, you can use food colour and white alcohol to paint faint stripes with a fine paint brush.

Step 7

You can also make collars by cutting strips of fondant and adding discs, painted gold and sticking it around the neck of the cat.

Step 8

Add the finished toppers to your cakes.

We just love these bride and groom cupcakes. Make a pair as a thoughtful gift for the happy couple or, if you're the one getting married, why not make some as favours for your guests? Just follow our step-by-step guide.

Ingredients

• 120g skin-tone modelling paste
• 120g grey modelling paste
• 180g white modelling paste
• Sugar pearls for the centre of the flowers and buttons
• 2g green modelling paste
• 1x batch of basic cupcakes
• 1x buttercream icing

Step 1

Roll the skin-tone modelling paste out to 2mm thick and cut 6 x 68mm circles. When using a light coloured paste, it helps to have a spare piece of paste to wipe the board, your hands and rolling pin with, this collects all the tiny lint pieces and stops them getting stuck in your paste.

Step 2

Roll the white modelling paste out to 2mm thick and cut 6 x 68 mm hearts then, using the 68mm circle cutter, cut a circle making sure the dip in the heart is in the centre to create the top of the dress. Stick to the top of the skin tone circles with a brush of water.

Step 3

Using the PME tool on the the plain wheel, emboss lines into the dress.

Step 4

Using the blossom cutters, cut one small and one large blossom and stick the small blossom onto the large one with a brush of water. You’ll need three complete blossoms for each dress.

Stick the blossoms to the dress with a brush of water and add small sugar pearls to the centres.

Step 5

For the groom cupcake, cut 6 x 68mm circles from the white modelling paste.


Roll the white modelling paste out to 2mm thick and emboss for the waistcoat. For the waistcoat, use the textured base of a chocolate box tray or other textured plastic wrapper such as an apple pie case. These are great for embossing the centre of flowers, too. Just make sure you wash and dry them thoroughly before use. Cut 2 strips and trim the tops to a point. Repeat until you have enough to cover 6 toppers.

Step 6

Stick them onto the white circles in the centre and add button holes and buttons using tiny sugar pearls.

Step 7

Roll the grey modelling paste out to 2mm thick and cut 2 strips for the jacket, stick these either side of the waistcoat and trim with the circle cutter if you need to.

Step 8

Roll the remainder of the grey modelling paste out and cut a 68mm circle. Cut a strip from the centre and trim to cut one side of the collar with a sharp knife.

Step 9

To make the other side exactly the same, place your first collar onto the other side and trim around the shape you already cut. Stick the collars on with a brush of water.

Step 10

To make the cravat, roll the white modelling paste out to 2mm thick and cut a strip, concertina it - trimming into shape and smoothing the edges with your fingertips.

Step 11

Stick the cravat on with a brush of water, then brush over the cravat and the waistcoat with the pearlised paint pen.

Add stitching around the edge of the collar with the PME stitch tool.

Step 12

To make the buttonhole rose, cut a long thin strip of the white modelling paste and roll from one end to the other and cut in half.

To make the leaf, roll the green modelling paste out to 2mm thick and cut 6 x 8mm hearts. Stick the leaf and rose onto the collar with a dot of water. It’s best to leave these toppers to dry overnight so as they won’t droop onto the cakes.

Step 13

Make up your batch of cupcakes and leave to cool completely. Ice the cupcakes with a plain swirl of basic buttercream. You can achieve this by piping into the centre of the cupcake, holding the tip of the nozzle in the buttercream as you pipe. Stop piping when the buttercream is almost at the edge of the paper.

Place the toppers on the top of the buttercream pushing down slightly until the buttercream reaches the edge of the paper. Your cupcakes are now ready to be served.

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Have the kids been going crazy for loom bands recently? Well, they're going to love these loom band cupcakes made with edible loom bands and a soft meringue buttercream. Follow our step-by-step recipe to make your own.

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes; 8 with loom bands on them (27 loom bands on each) and 4 with lettering on them.

Ingredients

• 1 batch of 12 basic cupcakes
• 1 batch of basic meringue buttercream
• 225g modelling paste (90g for loom bands, 10g each) and 135g white modelling paste
• Rainbow colour food colouring pastes, such as egg yellow, tangerine/apricot, Aubergine, navy blue, sky blue, party green, Christmas red, claret (for the pink)
• Cornflour, for dusting

Step 1

Start by colouring 90g modelling rainbow colours, 10g in each colour. The food colour pastes are best for modelling paste as the don’t change the consistency of the paste like liquid food colour would.

Start with a little of the paste on the end of a cocktail stick or pin tool and work your way up to the desired colour. Once the colour is in the paste you can’t take it out, so be careful.

Step 2

Using the rolling pin, roll the paste out to 2mm thick and cut 24 x 13mm circles of each colour. Make sure you cover the paste you are not using at the time or it will dry out and crack.

Step 3

Using the 10mm cutter, cut the centres from the 13mm circles. It might take a couple of goes at first to get it even but the more you cut, the easier it gets.

If you find the cutter/paste is sticking, dust the counter and the cutter with cornflour. Just remember to tap the cutter before cutting or the bands will get white with the flour. Don’t worry if they do though, you can brush it off when you are sticking them down. Leave the bands to dry on a drying sponge.

Step 4

Cut your letters out using the small Windsor Clikstix. You can write a special birthday message or names - the choice is yours. If the cutters are sticking, dust them with a little cornflour.

Step 5

Cut 12 scalloped circles from the remainder of the white modelling paste for the tops and leave them on the drying sponge. When you’ve cut your letters, stick them to the tops of the scalloped circles using a water brush.

Step 6

Stick the bands to the top with a brush of water, make sure the brush is quite dry before you stick, then just brush the topper and the bands to stick them to each other.

Ideally these toppers need overnight to dry but if you’re in a hurry, give yourself at least 6 hours to dry.

Step 7

Meanwhile, make up a batch of 12 cupcakes and leave to cool completely. Make up a batch of buttercream too.

To ice the cupcakes, add your buttercream to a piping bag with a Wilton 6B nozzle. Stand the piping bag in a tall glass so you have both hands free to fill the piping bag.

To ice this swirl, start in the centre piping out towards the paper, follow around the edge of the paper and the work your way back onto the middle finishing in the centre by pushing down slightly and then pulling up quickly. They really don’t have to be perfect as the topper will cover up any mistakes anyway.

Step 8

Place your dried topper on the piped cupcakes and serve.

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These adorable little baby cake decorations are the perfect thing to adorn any celebration cake be it christenings, baby showers or first birthdays.

You can play around with hair, eye and outfit colours to suit whoever you’re making it for.

This recipe makes one decoration and you can make it however big or small you like. Follow Victoria Threader’s easy step-by-step to make these gorgeous icing characters - they're a lot easier than you might think!

Ingredients

• White modelling paste
• Skin tone modelling paste
• Black fondant
• Blue fondant
• Yellow fondant
• Silver ball sprinkle nonpareil
• Dusky pink petal dust
• Dried spaghetti strand

Step 1

For the body: Mould 20g of white modelling paste into a pear shape and then pinch in the bottom to shape where the legs will be.

Step 2

Add 3 silver ball sprinkles for the poppers by adding a brush of water, and pushing them into the paste. Add studs to the body by pushing the small plain nozzle into the front of the baby grow and add some lines with a cocktail stick or pin tool. It helps to pop the model on a sponge or greaseproof paper, as it makes it easier to move around without getting finger prints in the paste.

Step 3

For the legs: Roll a sausage to about 10cm and cut in half diagonally. Bend the uncut end over and mould a foot shape. Thin the hip end by pinching the fondant in between your fingers. It is now ready to stick onto the body.

Step 4

Stick the thinned end of the leg to the side of the body with a brush of water,

Step 5

For the arms: Roll a sausage and cut in half diagonally and trim the end. Using the cone tool or a cocktail stick, add a hole to the centre for the hands, and stick the sleeves to the body with a brush of water.

Step 6

For the hands: Start with 2 small balls of skin tone paste, roll one end to make a cone and flatten with your finger. Cut a mitten shape, then cut 3 lines for the fingers and soften the edges with the tips of your fingers.

Step 7

Add the hands to the sleeves with a brush of water. Sometimes the weight of the hands pull the sleeves down. If this happens, add a piece of kitchen towel under the sleeves as a support until they have dried in postion - this should take about 20 mins or so.

Step 8

For the head: Roll a ball of skin tone paste and add a smile by pushing the edge of a cookie cutter into the front of the face. Add detail with a tiny ball tool and veining tool if you have them, then add a tiny ball of paste for the nose.

Step 9

For the ears: Roll tiny balls of skin tone paste and attach them to the side of the head with a dot of water and the small ball tool if you have one.

For the eyes: Indent holes for the eyes and add a small ball of white paste, a smaller ball of blue paste, an even smaller ball of black fondant, then finish with a dot of white paste for the reflection.

Step 10

Brush the cheeks with a soft brush and dusky pink petal dust (if using).

Step 11

Roll a tiny curl of yellow fondant and stick it to the top of the head with a brush of water.

Step 12

Add a length of spaghetti to the body and brush around the neck with the water brush, push the head onto the spaghetti.

Step 13

Add the finished topper to the cake.

This simple bow decoration really spruces up a birthday or christening cake. Using this technique you can make your bows any size you like, depending on the size of the cake you're decorating - you could even make mini ones for cupcakes.

Colour them however you fancy, or to suit who you're making them for. We love these pretty pink ones for a little girl's birthday.

This recipe makes enough for one bow so make sure to increase the quantities if you would like more than one.

Ingredients

• 20g modelling paste
• Pink food colouring
• Corn flour
• Pearl lustre dust

Step 1

Colour your modelling paste pink.

Step 2

Dust your counter with corn flour to stop the paste sticking. Roll the modelling paste out to 2mm thick and cut a strip about 15cm long and 3cm wide.

Step 3

Turn the strip over so you have the good side on the bottom and concertina (pinch the sides into the centre) the middle and the ends.

Step 4

Roll 2 small tubes of kitchen towel and fold the two ends over, sticking them in the centre with a brush of water.

Step 5

Cut a centre strip long enough to go around the middle. Fold the edges, length ways, over so you have a neat edge, then turn the strip over and pinch creases in each side.

Step 6

Wrap the centre strip around the centre of the bow, sticking it at the back with a brush of water.

Step 7

To make the ribbon ends, cut two strips. Trim triangles shapes in the end of each strip.

Step 8

Stick them onto the cake with a brush of water, bending in places to give them a nice shape.

Step 9

Stick the bow on the top of your cake with a brush of water and dust with pearl lustre dust, if using.

If you’re celebrating an animal lover’s birthday any time soon, these little fondant pooches are the perfect thing to top their birthday cake with.

Follow this easy step-by-step picture recipe to get perfect results without having to be an icing expert. You could change the colour of your dog if you’re making it to look like a loved pet.

Ingredients

To make 1 dog cake topper:

• 60g white modelling paste
• 20g chocolate fondant
• 5g black fondant
• 1g pink fondant
• 2g green fondant
• Silver edible paint

Step 1

Start by sorting out the fondant and sectioning what you will need. For a 2.5” dog use about 35g of white for the body, 5g for each leg, 15g for the head, 3g of white and 1g of black for the nose and 2.5g for each ear. Make sure you keep what you are not using at the time in an airtight container or in cling film.

Step 2

For the body: Mould a pear shape and pull the top of the pear to one side.

Step 3

For the front legs: Start with a ball shape and roll one side into a long sausage shape. Use a cocktail stick to mark the ankle by pressing the stick straight across the top of the foot, making sure you don’t go all the way through the fondant. To mark the toes, press the cocktail stick into the ball of the foot twice.

Step 4

Stick the front legs to the body with a brush of water.

Step 5

Repeat the same for the back legs but roll the sausage slightly longer, bending it at the knee.

Step 6

Stick them onto the body with a brush of water, pointing the feet out to the side.

Step 7

For the head: Roll 13g of brown fondant into a small pear shape. Using 1.5g of the white modelling paste, roll a thin band for the middle of the head, a tiny ball for the mouth. To make the snout, roll the rest of the white paste into an oval shape, push this flat with the tip of your finger and push a cocktail stick upwards into the centre. Roll a ball of black fondant for the nose.

Step 8

With a water brush, first stick the white band to the centre of the head, then stick the black nose onto the white snout and then stick this onto the head, pushing and moulding firmly in place. Push the black sugar pearls into the head for the eyes.

Make a tongue by rolling a tiny ball of pink fondant and using a cocktail stick mark down the centre. Stick into the mouth. Use the cocktail stick to add texture on the face.

Roll small sausages of brown fondant for the ears and flatten with your finger. Stick to the top of the head with a brush of water.

Step 9

Roll small balls of pink fondant, flatten with the tip of your finger and stick them on for the pads on the dog's back feet.

Insert a small strand of spaghetti into the centre of the body to attach the head. Add a collar by pushing a flattened ball of green fondant onto the spaghetti.

Step 10

Place the head onto the strand of spaghetti and stick down with a brush of water.

For the tail: Mix some off cuts of white paste, black and brown fondant and roll into a sausage, tapering it to a point at one end. Stick onto the body with a brush of water.

For the spots: Roll the leftover strips of brown fondant very thinly and stick them onto the body with a brush of water - don't worry if the edges are wonky, it adds to the effect.

Place the finished topper onto a cake.

Perfect for first birthdays, baby showers and christenings, these colourful blocks are the simplest way to personalise a cake.

With just a couple of ingredients and some letter cutters you can make these to sit on top any kind of cake - from big to small and they'll make a lovely centrepiece for whatever occasion you're celebrating.

Make them in any colour you like depending on who they're for and try experimenting with the letters too, adding glitter or different colours to the paste. Click here to see how to make the baby too!

Ingredients

To make 5 blocks you will need:

• 30g white fondant
• 40g modelling paste
• Food colour paste
• Cornflour for dusting
• Edible silver paint

Step 1

Mix 30g of fondant and 30g of modelling paste (keeping 10g for the lettering) together and knead for a couple of minutes to warm the paste up. Colour with a touch of food colour paste.

Step 2

Roll the fondant/paste mixture into a 20mm thick sausage and mark out squares on the top, as a guide where to cut.

Step 3

Cut the squares out using a sharp knife and flatten the top by rubbing it onto your work surface. Use a touch of corn flour to stop the squares sticking.

Step 4

Emboss the edges of the squares with the stitch tool or a cocktail stick.

Step 5

Roll 10g of white modelling paste to 1mm thick and leave to dry on the counter for 15 minutes. Dust the counter and letter cutters lightly with corn flour. Cut your letters and tap the end of the cutter on the counter - the letter should fall out. If it gets stuck in the cutter, the paste needs to be thinner, roll and leave to dry again.

Step 6

Stick the letters to the blocks with a brush of water.

Step 7

You could leave the letters white or paint them with edible paint.

Step 8

Display the blocks on your chosen cake.

Put a big smile on your child's face with these Paddington Bear-inspired cupcakes. They're much easier to make than you may think! Victoria Threader's step by step recipe shows you how to make your own...

Tip: These toppers will need overnight to dry so make sure you give yourself plenty of time before you need them.

Ingredients

• 1x batch of basic cupcakes
• 1x batch of buttercream icing
• 50g red modelling paste
• 40g blue modelling paste
• 110g white modelling paste
• 5g black fondant
• 35g chocolate fondant

Step 1

To make the brown modelling paste, mix the white modelling paste with the chocolate fondant. Leave 10g chocolate fondant to one side. Mix 20g chocolate fondant with 20g white modelling paste for the faces. Then mix 5g chocolate fondant with 20g white modelling paste for the buttons.

Victoria used Sugarflair’s Christmas red food colour pastes for the hat and ice blue and navy mixed for the duffle coat.

Step 2

You’ll need 4x red and 4x white 68mm circles to hold Paddington’s face and the labels. Roll the paste out to 2mm thick and make them using the 68mm cutter, then leave to dry on a drying sponge or greaseproof paper.

Step 3

To make the faces, roll out the medium brown paste and cut 4x 48mm circles. Use small scissors to cut the fur at the side edge of the circles.

Step 4

Add the eyes and nose by rolling tiny balls of black fondant. Use the black edible food colour pen to draw the features.

To give Paddington a chin, trim the bottom edge to a point and smooth with the edge of your finger.

Step 5

To make the hat, cut a triangle with rounded edges and cut a dip in the top. Then fold the bottom edge up to give you the hat rim.

Step 6

With a brush of water, stick the face to the white discs first, then add the hat.

Step 7

To make the duffle coats, cut 4x blue 68mm circles. Make a mark down the centre with a sharp knife without going all the way through the fondant. Then use the stitch tool to mark the stitching.

Step 8

Using the remainder of the red paste, roll and cut tiny strands for the coat catches and stick them across the front of the coat with a brush of water.

Step 9

For the leather pads, roll the dark chocolate out to 2mm thick and cut 4x squares. Cut the squares in half to make the triangle and then emboss them with the stitch tool. With a brush of water, stick the triangles over the ends of the red strands.

Step 10

To make the buttons, roll the lightest brown paste out to 3mm thick and cut 4x 10mm circles per button, sticking them together with a brush of water. Add the button holes using a cocktail stick - this will squash them a bit but just roll them on your work surface and they will be rounded again.

Step 11

Stick the buttons onto the front of the coat with a brush of water and cutting tiny strips of red paste, tuck each end into the button holes.

Step 12

To make the label, roll the white paste out to 2mm thick and cut a rectangle 6x 4cm, trimming the corners off one end. Using the 10mm circle cutter, cut a circle from the mid brown and place it the centre of the trimmed end. Using the 5mm cutter, cut through the circle and the label, just leaving the edge of the circle in place. Leave the labels to dry for a few hours before you attempt to write on them. If you like, the children can help you with this part. Write out the label with the edible marker.

Step 13

Ice your cupcakes and add the toppers to the cakes. They are now ready to be served.

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Who needs candles when you can make your own edible fondant versions? These birthday candle cake decorations are really simple to make and would make any birthday cake or cupcake look extra special.

You could even personalise your candles with colour themes to match the party spread or you could write the birthday boy or girl's name in edible pen on each candle.

Ingredients

• 50g ready-to-roll white fondant
• 50g modelling paste
• 2g green modelling paste
• 20g pink modelling paste
• 24g yellow modelling paste
• 10g blue modelling paste

Step 1

You will need to mix the modelling paste and fondant together to make these candles. This will give you a smooth paste that won’t crack when you roll it.

Step 2

Roll the pink and white paste out to 2mm thick and cut 10x pink and 10x white circles. You don’t have to use pink, if you have a particular colour theme for you party then use that.

Stick the circles together stacking them one on top of the other to build your candle. Alternate between white and pink to make a striped pattern. Secure each circle with a brush of water. Use about 20 circles per candle.

Step 3

To roll the white candles, take 10g of white paste and roll into a 6cm sausage shape. You can use a fondant smoother to give them a smooth surface and straight ends.

Step 4

Roll the blue paste out to 2mm thick and cut a long strip. Wrap the strip diagonally around the sausage shape.

Step 5

For the green polka dot candle, roll the green paste out to 3mm thick and using the piping nozzle cut tiny circles of green paste. They do get stuck in the tip of the nozzle but can be pushed out with a soft brush.

If you’d like the dots to be bigger, just cut again leaving the paste in the nozzle each time as you cut, push the paste out with a soft brush and roll into a tiny ball, sticking it onto the candle as you go. Victoria didn't use the water brush to glue the dots, as the paste was sticky enough already.

Step 6

For the flame, roll a ball and then make one side into a cone. Shape the tip of the cone with your fingers.

Step 7

To add the flame to the candles, make a small dip in the top of the candle with the end of the water brush and add a dot of water, sticking the flame to the top. Leave the candle to dry for a few hours. Victoria left hers on a drying sponge.

Step 8

Add your finished fondant candles to your cupcakes or classic birthday cake and serve!

Learn how to make these fun party balloon cake decorations. Made with a mixture of fondant and modelling paste, these simple cake decorations can be popped on top of cupcakes or large cakes for a birthday celebration.

This recipe makes 36 balloons in total; 12 bunches of 3 balloons. If you'd like to make less, half the quantities to suit. When using the modelling paste and fondant, make sure you keep it covered with cling film when you're not using to stop it from going hard. The balloons will need an overnight setting time.

Ingredients

• 220g ready to roll fondant
• 220g modelling paste
• Various food volour pastes (Victoria used; Christmas Red, Claret, Party Green, Sky Blue and Egg Yellow)
• Pearlescent lustre dust
• Piping gel for the glue (or royal icing)
• Coloured confetti sprinkles
• Trex (optional)

Step 1

Start by kneading the fondant and modelling paste together and divide into 5 pieces (108g of each colour). Colour each portion to your desired colours. You can co-ordinate to your own party colours if you like.

Step 2

Take 15g per balloon of coloured paste. Pinch a tiny section off for the tie and roll the rest into a ball. You might find it easier to rub a touch of trex into your hands before you start rolling. Roll the small section into a small ball too.

Step 3

To make the balloon shape, roll one side of the larger paste to a point with the flat of your index finger and flatten the small ball with the tip of your finger.

Step 4

Use a plastic egg tray, mini cupake pan or similar to hold the balloons. Tip the balloon upside down and gently place into the holder. Glue the flattened tie to the balloon with a touch of piping gel.

Step 5

Brush the top of the cake pop stick with the piping gel - this will make it easier to push into the balloon and will help it to stick in place.

Step 6

Push the sick into the balloon making sure you don’t push it in too far. You may squash the balloon slightly as you do this but if you do, you can just pick it up and re-mould it again. You can also smooth out any imperfections with the tips of your fingers.

Step 7

If you have any excess glue around the stick you can take it away with a brush.

Step 8

Once the balloons are dry to the touch you can dust them over with the lustre dust to make them shiny. Leave the balloons to set overnight.

Step 9

Trim the sticks to different lengths with some scissors and push the balloons into your chosen cake. Push them in using the stick and try and avoid pushing the top of the balloon or the stick may poke through the top of the balloon.

You can add little bows onto the sticks for decoration if you like, just stick them on with a touch of piping gel.

Step 10

Your balloons are now ready to be admired by friends, family and the lucky birthday boy or girl!

Our button cake decorations tutorial shows you two simple ways to make cute button toppers for your next bake - one using cake decorating tools, and another using simple items you've probably already got in your kitchen.

These cupcakes were made by Victoria Threader for our classes at the Cake & Bake Show 2014 in London - don't forget to take a look at our bow cupcake decorations and rose cupcake decorations too!

Ingredients

• 40g modelling paste
• Sugarflair food colour paste in baby pink, sky blue, party green and egg yellow
• Cornflour, for dusting
• Trex, for greasing
• 1x batch of basic cupcakes
• 1x batch of buttercream

Step 1

Colour your modelling paste to your desired shades. Start by using a tiny dot of food colour paste on the end of a cocktail stick and work your way up to the colour you would like. Remember, once the food colour is in the paste you can’t take it out, so work slowly and gradually.


There are two easy ways to make buttons, as shown below.

Step 2

For the first method, roll out the paste - if it's a bit sticky, dust the work surface with a little cornflour. Using the larger 30mm cutter, cut a circle.

Step 3

Using the 23mm cutter, emboss the inner circle, making sure you don’t go all the way through.

Step 4

Using a cocktail stick, make 4 holes by pressing the end into the paste and twisting the cocktail stick round at the same time. Don’t worry if they are not fully round at this stage - you can correct this when the buttons are a bit drier by pushing the cocktail stick right through the holes again.

Step 5

For the second method, use an 18mm plunger cutter to cut a circle.

Step 6

To emboss the button, use the plunger of the cutter, making sure you hold the inside securely as you press. You may need to dust the paste with a little cornflour before you do this, as sometimes the handle sticks.

Step 7

Hold a writing nozzle with the tips of your fingers and press and twist at the same time to make the holes. If you find the nozzle is sticking this time, rub a little Trex around the end of the nozzle. For both methods, leave the buttons to dry on a drying sponge or greaseproof paper.

Step 8

To ice the cupcakes, use a small palette knife and spread a little buttercream onto the cupcakes, making it flat all the way over the top to give it a neater look for the piping.

Step 9

Snip the tip (about 3cm) off a piping bag.

Step 10

Add the buttercream to the piping bag, pushing all the air up out of the bag and twisting the bag at the top of the icing. Pipe this swirl, by starting in the centre, working your way out to the cups and using them as a guide to follow round and back up into a spiral, finishing by pushing down slightly and pulling up quickly.

Step 11

Place the buttons on the cupcakes and serve.

Want to know how to make bow cupcake decorations? Watch this easy tutorial from cupcake queen Victoria Threader. All you'll need is some modelling paste and a few basic tools to make beautiful bows that would be great on bakes for birthdays, christenings, weddings and more...

These cupcakes were made by Victoria Threader for our classes at the Cake & Bake Show 2014 in London - don't forget to take a look at our button cupcake decorations and rose cupcake decorations too!

Ingredients

• 300g modelling paste
• Blue and green food colour paste
• 1x batch basic cupcakes
• 1x batch buttercream

Step 1

Before you start, rub a spare piece of fondant or paste on your hands and the board before you start rolling. This will catch any flecks of dust and stop it from getting into the paste.

Roll the white modelling paste to 2mm thick and cut a rectangle 9cm x 4cm and mark in the centre. Be sure to wrap the paste you are not using in cling film so it doesn’t dry out. It’s best to make one bow at a time as the paste dries quickly.

Step 2

Cutting from the centre outwards, cut two ovals either side of the centre mark making sure you leave the centre intact.

Step 3

Bend the outside edge into the centre and stick with a brush of water.

Step 4

Cut a strip 1cm x 3cm and dampen with your water brush in the centre of the strip. Turn the bow upside down and stick the centre on the middle strip, folding and sticking with a brush of water. Repeat the previous step until you have made 12 bows.

Step 5

To make the ends of the ribbon, roll and cut a 12x strips measuring 7cm x 2.5cm. Cut a section from the ends and then cut 3cm tringles from each side in the centre. Make sure you leave the centre intact so you have a piece to stick the bow to.

Step 6

Glue the bow with a brush of water to the centre. Make sure you press gently so as not to flatten it too much.

Step 7

Colour the remainder of the paste turquoise and roll and cut 12x 68mm circles for the bows to sit on. These need to dry for at least 6 hours on a drying sponge or greaseproof paper.

Step 8

Ice the cupcakes by adding a Wilton 2A nozzle to a piping bag and piping a ball of buttercream by applying pressure to the piping bag, keeping the nozzle in the top of the buttercream. Stop piping just before it reaches the paper case.

Step 9

Place the toppers onto the finished cupcakes, pushing down slightly to get the buttercream to set at the edge of the cupcake case, and serve.

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Colourful campervans headed for the beach are a symbol of the British summertime, and our cupcake queen Victoria Threader has made some brilliant campervan cupcakes to enjoy at the seaside, or indoors with a cuppa.

Ingredients

• 1 batch of 12 basic cupcakes
• 1 batch of basic meringue buttercream
• 130g white modelling paste
• Food colour pastes in red, yellow, blue, green, tangerine, black and silver (Victoria used Sugarflair’s Christmas Red, Egg Yellow, Sky Blue, Party Green, Tangerine/Apricot, Black Extra and Silver).
• Gin or vodka

Step 1

The campervan toppers need to dry overnight (the outlines) and a further 3 hours the next day for the painting to dry, so make sure you leave yourself enough time.

Roll the white modelling paste out to 2mm thick and cut 12 x scalloped circles, leaving them to dry on a drying sponge.

Step 2

Stick your clear stamp to the stamping block. Using a lined stamping block helps get the stamps straight.

Step 3

Use a large clean sponge (it doesn’t have to be as big as in the picture, just big enough for the stamp and only used for cake decorating). Spread the black food colour onto the sponge with a knife.

Step 4

Gently press the stamp onto the food colour on the sponge making sure the whole stamp is covered. Make sure it’s clean around the edge of the stamp or it will mark the paste.

Step 5

Evenly stamp the paste by applying equal pressure onto the paste and dabbing it onto the sponge between stamps. Leave the toppers in a card cake box or under a cake cover overnight to dry. Don’t be tempted to put them in an airtight box as they will go soggy.

Step 6

To paint the toppers, put a dot of colour into the palette and add some gin or vodka. The colours can be quite watery, but when you paint just dab the brush on a piece of kitchen towel before you start painting. Use some gin/vodka to rinse your brush between colours too.

Step 7

Start with the sand and if the colour is too much, rinse the brush and brush over the darker section again. Victoria used the spare modelling paste to dab and practise on.

Step 8

To give the windows a hint of colour, wet the brush in the alcohol and dry it quite well on some kitchen towel. Brush really lightly from the black outline into the centre, not too much though.

Step 9

You can personalise the number plate with a black edible colouring pen.

Step 10

Bake a batch of basic cupcakes and leave to cool on a wire rack. While they are cooling, make a batch of basic meringue buttercream.

Step 11

To ice the cupcakes, add your buttercream to a piping bag with a Wilton 6B (or similar open star nozzle) added.

Stand the piping bag in a tall glass so you have both hands free to fill the piping bag.

To ice this swirl, start in the centre piping out towards the paper case, follow around the edge of the paper and then work your way back onto the middle finishing in the centre by pushing down slightly and then pulling up quickly. They don’t have to be perfect as the topper will cover up any mistakes.

Step 12

Place the finished and dried campervan toppers on to your iced cupcakes.

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How cute are these turtle and sea life cupcakes? Follow our step-by-step recipe to make your own. We think the kids are going to love these cake decorations.

These decorations will need to be made at least 24 hours in advance or they will not hold in the buttercream. They can be left to dry in a card cake box or air dried under a cake cover. Drying sponges are great to shape decorations too.

These decorations will only work with modelling paste or you can also add gum tragacanth to fondant if you wish. It would be 1tsp per 250g of fondant.

Ingredients

• 1 batch of cupcakes
• 1 batch of buttercream
• 60g chocolate or brown fondant
• 15g orange modelling paste
• 20g red modelling paste
• 20g pink modelling paste
• 15g yellow modelling paste
• 65g white modelling paste
• 10g green modelling paste
• 2g black fondant
• 5g green fondant
• White and blue sprinkles
• Blue colouring (Sugarflair Sky Blue)
• ½ square of dark chocolate
• 2 strands of dried spaghetti

Step 1

To make 4 pieces of coral, roll the orange modelling paste out to 2mm thick and use whatever you have to cut holes in the paste. Use plain piping nozzles. Leave to then to dry on a sponge or greaseproof paper.

Step 2

For the sea weed, cut long thin strips with a sharp knife or ribbon cutter. Twist and leave to dry on a sponge or greaseproof paper.

Step 3

Look around the house to see what you have to make patterns and shapes. A garlic press is great for long thin strands of fondant to look like sea plants. If you would like the strands to be multi coloured, don’t clean it before you pop the next colour in.

Step 4

Add the 5g of green fondant to 40g of modelling paste and knead well to make a light green colour.

Step 5

For the heads, roll a small ball of light green paste (about 3cm) and using the ball tool add eye sockets.

Step 6

To add eye lids, roll small green balls of green paste and using the ball tool press firmly in the centre and with a brush of water stick these into the eyes sockets.

For the eye balls, roll tiny ball of white, brown and black and stick them to one another pressing them flat with the tip of your finger and with a brush of water stick them into the sockets. If the ball tool sticks to the paste, add a touch of veg fat or dip it into cornflour.

Step 7

To paint the skin melt a ½ square of dark choc in the microwave for 10 seconds and then painted dots on with a small paint brush (that’s been used for food only)

To make the smile, push the edge of one of the piping nozzles into the paste and use the small ball tool to give the smile shape.

Step 8

To make the shell, mix the chocolate fondant and 20g of modelling paste together. Don’t mix too much as it will give the shell a pattern. Roll 20g balls at tap the on the counter to make the underside flat.

To make the turtles legs, roll small sausage shapes and press flat with your finger moulding to a point at one end and curving round. Paint the chocolate dots on and with a brush of water along the fatter edge, stick the shell on top.

Step 9

Add a small ball of green paste for the neck and push 2 small strands of spaghetti into the neck for extra support and then push the head onto the spaghetti. Leave to set for 24 hrs before making your cupcakes.

Make and bake your basic cupcakes and leave to cool completely.

Step 10

Make the buttercream and colour 1/3 blue. Add the Wilton 1M tip to the piping bag and pop the bag into a tall glass or picnic cup. Spread the blue buttercream around the edge of the bag keeping the centre free for the white buttercream.

Add the white to the centre of the bag, twist the bag at the top of the icing pushing all the air up out of the bag as you do so.

Step 11

Pipe onto the counter until you have the blue edges and then pipe your desired swirl on the top of the cupcakes adding the blue and white sprinkles before the icing dries.

Step 12

Add the dried turtles and decorations to your finished cupcakes and serve.