How to make a cupcake with Rice Krispie treats

By 46 Comments

This is a tutorial on how you can make the cupcake, that I made as a part of a competition cake back in 2008. You can see the original cupcake here The cupcake was made using Rice Krispie Treats (RKT) and rolled fondant. The RKT is light and it can be a good option to use if it seem to hard to carve the piece out of cake. It can also be a good alternative to polystyrene. To get a smooth surface when using RKT. Many like to use a little buttercream to fill out any small holes. I just cover it twice with rolled fondant. You can of course use buttercream if you like.

I looked around in my cupboards and found a coffee cup and a small bowl that matched together in size. A clean (new) flower pot also have a good shape for the cupcake base. Take a look in your cupboards to see if you have something that fits.

I have placed a gum paste cherry on top of my cupcake, but you could use a strawberry, a flower or something else instead. For the sprinkles you could make other shapes too.

Want to make it out of real cake? You can use the directions for a real cake too. Carve the cupcake base out of cake and bake the cupcake top in a half round ball/sphere cake pan. Decorate your cupcake as I have done with the RKT cupcake.

This is what I use:
Rice Krispie Treat
Plastic wrap
A cup and a bowl that match in size to make the cupcake
A serrated bread knife
White rolled fondant
Food gel colors, in your chosen color scheme
Corn starch
Rolling pin
Small knife
Tylo glue + small brush
Clear piping gel + small brush
A thin dowel
Dresden/veining tool from JEM
1 tbsp white chocolate chips, that will be melted. Will “glue” the two cupcake parts together

For the gum paste cherry:
Pink gum paste
Small piece of green flower wire #20
Confectioners glaze, if you want your cherry to be glossy

 

Step 1:
Take you cup and bowl and cover it inside with plastic wrap. Set aside and prepare the RKT as stated in the recipe. When the RKT mix is ready, fill the cup and bowl with the mixture. Place them in the refrigerator to set and cool. I like to do this the evening before.
Tip! Rub a little vegetable oil on your utensils and hands to prevent the RKT mix from sticking.

Step 2:
Take out your shaped RKT and trim both top and bottom on the cupcake base. Trim of the cupcake “top” if needed. If there are a few holes in the RKT, then fill it out with some rolled fondant. Alternative use buttercream.


Step 3:
Roll out some white fondant in a long strip about 2-3 mm thickness. Make sure that it’s long enough to wrap all the way around the cupcake base. With a knife cut all the way down through the “layers” of white fondant. Remove the loose parts and make sure that the two ends fits together.


Step 4:
Trim off fondant from bottom and top. Smooth the cupcake base and set aside. Cover the cupcake top with white fondant, trim and set both parts aside to dry for 30-60 minutes.


Step 5:
Next make the decoration for the cupcake. Roll out long thin ropes of fondant and cut out “sprinkles”. For the cherry, roll a piece of pink (or red) gum paste. Insert a small piece of green flower wire #20 and set aside to dry.


Step 6:
Next take some colored fondant for the cupcake base. Roll it out to a long strip about 3-4 mm thickness. Brush the cupcake base with a thin coat of clear piping gel and roll the fondant around the base like in step 3. make sure that you cut straight and NOT askew like I did, through all layers. Remove the loose parts and smooth the two ends together nicely. Trim off fondant from top and bottom.


Step 7:
Make the fluted look by pressing a thin dowel all the way around the base of the cupcake. Next run a veining tool through the dowel marks. Set the base aside and let it dry for 30-60 minutes.


Step 8
When the base have dried a bit. It’s time to glue the base and top together. Use a little melted white chocolate for this part. Then take some white fondant and roll out a long rope. Make sure that the rope can go all the way around the bottom, before you let it “swirl” towards the top. Secure the fondant “rope swirl” to the top by brushing with a thin coat of clear piping gel.


Step 9:
Now it’s time to cover the “swirl top” Roll out some fondant and here it can be a bit tricky. Because you don’t want the fondant to be too big or you will have to deal with a lot of pleats at the bottom. So before you brush the “swirl top” with piping gel. Place the fondant over the top to see if it fits. When it does gently smooth it over the swirls. Trim of excess fondant around the “bottom” of the “swirl top”.


Step 10:
Decorate your RKT cupcake! Attach the decoration with a little tylo glue (piping gel can also be used).

Happy Caking!

Louise

Online Cake Decorating Class

Comments

    • rosana says

      Marlisa – you can make your own but just buying the premade sheets is easier & less hassle. I usually get mine at Michaels.

      Reply

    • Louise says

      You can find a link to the RKT recipe under the phrase: This is what I use (click on rice krispie treat)

      Reply

  7. Paola says

    Thank you Louise for the tutorial is great!:)
    I ‘ve just a cuple question, but this kind of RKT is good to eat?, I would like to prepare some Easter eggs for my children…. insted of buttercream con I use ganache? Thank you.
    Paola

    Reply

    • Louise says

      Paola, RKT is a great sweet treat. Normally I simply put the RKT mix into a square pan and cut them into squares. You can dip them half in melted chocolate and adding sprinkles on top. It is a great treat to make with your kids. Do you want to use RKT for the Easter eggs?

      Reply

  10. says

    Hello Louise
    I find your blog one day and join your newsletter, so I read but I think i never write a comments.. I enjoy your post, I really like Cupcakes. I only did cupcakes from a cake mix, lol! and when I bought already in a bakery, ha ha!!!
    I love your site and all your tutorial, thanks for sharing with us.
    -Sony
    Sonia-Studio60

    Reply

    • Louise says

      I would not make it more than 1 week in advance, if I was going to eat it, that is. Again I am pretty sure that 2 weeks in advance would be ok. The only problem is the butter that can go stale. But you can change out the butter for vegetable or canola oil. You can almost keep it forever, but then I would NOT eat it. If I made it 1 week in advance I would eat it within a few days.

      Since I see RKT as a kind of styrofoam that you can mold, I normally don’t eat it. Unless it is cut into plain squares 😉

      Reply

  18. Susan Garfield says

    How did you make the domed “cake” part that the swirled fondant rope swirls around? Is it RKT too?

    Reply

  19. says

    What a great little tutorial – thanks so much for sharing. I have to admit when I first saw the title of the post I wondered why one would want to make a cupcake out of RKT, but I was obviously lacking in imagination! It’s so beautiful.

    Reply

  30. Gloria says

    Karen you are wonderful! I could never have thought of doing anything like that, it’s gorgeous.
    I shall definitely be giving this a try – although somehow I’m not expecting it to look quite as professional as yours.

    Reply

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