Minion cupcakes
(Image credit: Future)

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

Minion cupcakes

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

Minion cupcakes

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

Minion cupcakes

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

Minion cupcakes

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

Minion cupcakes

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

Minion cupcakes

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

Minion cupcakes

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

Minion cupcakes: Step 12

Minion cupcakes

(Image credit: Future)

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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Victoria Threader
Recipes Writer

Victoria Threader is 'the queen of cupcakes' and a contributing Recipe Writer at GoodTo. Not only can she bake delicious cupcakes, she can decorate them too - with each of Victoria’s cupcakes topped with handmade edible toppers. Some of her most popular cupcakes include: rainbow cupcakes, hidden shape cupcakes and even giant cupcakes.