Tutorial: How to Make Cowboy Hat Cupcake Toppers

I recently had an order for a cowboy themed party and I had to come up with a plan for How to Make Cowboy Hat Cupcake Toppers.

After brainstorming a little bit, I realized they were going to be pretty easy to do and super, duper cute!   I hope you think so too!

Here’s what you’re going to need (not everything is pictured):

• Brown fondant or gum paste
• Tylose (if you’re using fondant)
• Corn starch
• Ball tool
• 2″ round cookie cutter or pastry ring
• Knife
• Ball tool
• Rolling Pin
• Flower form tray
• Shortening

Step 1: If you’re using fondant, start by mixing in some tylose (about 1 tsp. per pound).  This will help the fondant dry out and hold it’s shape. If you’re using gum paste, just skip that and jump right in!

First thing, roll out the fondant to about 2-3mm thick and cut out the 2″ circles. I only show one here, but I actually rolled out a big piece and cut several at once.

Here’s a picture of the 2″ pastry ring I used…

Step 2: Sprinkle your flower form tray with corn starch (to keep the fondant/gum paste from sticking) and lay the circles into the form to give it the curved shape of the brim of a cowboy hat. Allow them to begin to dry while you make the top of the hat.

Step 3: Take a ball of fondant and roll it out into a long rope – about 1 inch in diameter.

Step 4: Cut the rope into sections just over an inch long. The mat I’m working on has half-inch grid lines, so you can get a good feel for exactly how big my rope and sections were.

Step 5: Roll each section of fondant into a smooth round ball. You might want to knead in a little shortening to get the ball really smooth (or if it’s started to dry out – this will help cover any cracks).

Step 6: Using a ball tool, rub back and forth while pushing down to make an  indentation for the top of the hat. This will also cause the ball to begin to take an oval shape.

Step 7: Paint a little sugar glue on the center of the circle that you’ve been drying. You can see in the picture below that it it is already starting to hold it’s shape and it had bee less than 5 minutes.  (note: I used fondant with tylose for my hats)

Step 8: Push the top onto the bottom, pinching it in a little bit to give it a good “cowboy hat” shape. Place it back in the flower form and allow it to dry for at least 2 hours (overnight would be best, but I was able to put these on my cupcakes a couple of hours later and they held up beautifully).

Step 9: Place on a freshly frosted cupcake and they’re done!

Note: If you go ahead and put these toppers on the cupcakes, DO NOT put them in a closed container!! As moisture evaporates from the cupcake, if it cannot escape, the hat’s will absorb it and begin to get soft or ‘melt’. If you’re making them ahead of time, just place them in a box without a lid or cover them lightly with a paper towel.

And that’s it!!

Happy Caking!

Rose