Complete your party cupcakes with hand-made toppers with this easy cupcake recipe (opens in new tab). You can put any message on the toppers so you can personalise them with a special message for loved ones – perfect for celebrations or as food gifts. The trick for perfecting these cupcakes is to make sure the buttercream is extra smooth so the flower paste topper and handmade fondant champagne glasses can sit evenly on top without warping.
Ingredients
For the cakes:
- 150g caster sugar
- 150g butter
- 140g self-raising flour
- 10g cornflour
- 3 medium eggs
- 30ml milk
- 1tsp vanilla extract
For the buttercream:
- 110g butter, room temperature
- 500g icing sugar
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 60ml milk
For the toppers:
- 500g white fondant
- 75g flower paste
- Pink food colour
- Silver sugar balls
- Letter embossers
- Gold and silver lustre dust for painting
- White alcohol for painting
- Edible glue
- 68mm cookie cutters
- Plain piping nozzle
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- For the cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line the baking tray with cases
- Beat the sugar and butter with the vanilla essence until light and fluffy.
- Add 1 egg, 1 third of the flour and a splash of milk and beat until just combined and repeat until all the ingredients are combined.
- Divide the batter between the 12 cases and bake for 25-30 mins. Remove and cool in the tins for 10 mins before moving to a wire cooling rack.
- Add butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl, then beat for about 5 mins with an electric whisk until smooth.
- Pour the milk gradually if you need to loosen the mixture.
- Mould the flower paste into 24 champagne glasses with your hands and leave to dry slightly while you are making the toppers.
- Colour the white fondant pink, roll and cut 12 scalloped circles and place on greaseproof paper.
- Using the plain piping nozzle, cut a small hole in the centre of each scallop and stick silver sugar ball in each hole with the edible glue.
- Using the letter embossers, emboss ‘Let’s Party!’ around the bottom edge using the silver balls as a guide.
- When the champagne glasses are dry, you can brush the tops and the bottoms with the silver lustre and leave the middle for the gold. Mixing the gold lustre with a touch of white alcohol (you could use gin), paint the middle part of the glasses gold.
- When all the glasses are painted, stick two to the fondant with your edible glue and stick the tiny gold balls on top to make bubbles.
- When the cakes are cool, spread or pipe the buttercream on the tops of the cakes and place a topper on each.
Top Tip for making Party cupcakes
If the piping nozzle sticks to the icing when cutting the holes out - dip it into icing sugar first
You might also like…
Chocolate cupcake recipe (opens in new tab)
Vanilla cupcakes recipe (opens in new tab)
Birthday cake recipes for kids (opens in new tab)
Trusted, informative, and empathetic – GoodTo is the ultimate online destination for mums. Established in 2007, our 15-year-strong archive of content includes more than 18,000 articles, 1,500 how-to videos, and 7,000 recipes.
-
The Hummingbird Bakery vanilla cupcakes
These Hummingbird Bakery vanilla cupcakes are topped with candy-coloured vanilla frosting and sprinkles...
By Jessica Dady • Published
-
Chocolate cupcakes
Whip up a batch of these luxurious chocolate cupcakes baked in just 20 minutes. Top with homemade chocolate buttercream and enjoy...
By Jessica Dady • Published
-
Halloween pumpkin cupcakes
These Halloween pumpkin cupcakes with orange cream cheese frosting contain real pumpkin. They are such a cute seasonal treat but they're actually pretty quick and easy to make.
By Jessica Dady • Last updated
-
Munchies skillet cookie
A gooey, delicious cookie baked in a skillet. A great dessert for sharing with loved ones...
By Jess Meyer • Published
-
Mozzarella and tomato ‘bruschetta’ salad
A filling salad that doesn't shy away from flavour. Perfect as a hearty lunch or light dinner...
By Jess Meyer • Published
-
Coq au vin pie
A warming pie packed with tender chunks of chicken, succulent bacon and a rich red wine gravy...
By Rose Fooks • Published
-
Was Camilla at Charles and Diana’s wedding?
It was attended by 3,500 guests and watched by 750m people around the world, but was Camilla at Charles and Diana's wedding? We reveal all.
By Jack White • Published
-
Is Rita Ora married to Taika Waititi? Secret wedding and how they met
Pop fans are wondering if Rita Ora is married to Taika Waititi after the British singer revealed she 'always dreamed' of being a wife
By Emma Dooney • Published
-
Is there a Doctor Who Christmas special in 2022?
Viewers of the beloved BBC show want to know is there a Doctor Who Christmas special in 2022 and whether there's more episodes to enjoy this year.
By Emily Stedman • Published