How to make winter cupcake toppers

I pulled out some fondant cutters from my collection and dreamed up these cute winter cupcake toppers. They would dress up your cupcakes for any winter celebration or birthday.

With their black, white and red color scheme, they would also make a lovely Valentine’s Day gift!

This is what I used:
Work surface
Corn starch
Small rolling pin
Fondant in black, white, red and tan
Water pen
Rolling cutter
X-acto knife
Stick tool
Edible markers in black and red
Icing writer in white
White pearl candy
Black sugar pearls
Pink luster dust
Small brush
Wilton 230 piping tip
Various cutters shown below

The cutters I used:
Rectangle 1 3/4” x 2 1/2” for the mitten and mug
Scalloped circle 2” round and smooth circle 1” round for the Eskimo girl
Wilton oval cut-outs for the penguin
Medium and small flower cutters, small heart cutter for details

Eskimo girl Step 1:
Cut out scalloped circles in white.

Step 2:
Use the Wilton 230 tip to press overlapping ovals in the fondant for texture.

Step 3:
Cut out small circles from the tan fondant.

Step 4:
Dampen the back of the tan circles and apply them in the center of the white circles.

Step 5:
Roll out and cut a rectangle of black fondant. Using the 1” circle cutter, make half circles as shown.

Step 6:
Attach the bangs with water and gently make grooves in them with your rolling cutter.

Step 7:
Allow them to harden for 30 minutes. Then apply the eyes and mouth with fine-tip edible markers.

Step 8:
Apply blush with a soft brush and add a tiny dot of white to each eye with the icing writer.

Hot Cocoa Step 1:
Cut out three rectangles.

Step 2:
Use the rolling cutter to trim the top edge of each rectangle as shown.

Step 3:
Use the stick tool to depress dents where the eyes will go. Careful not to push all the way through.

Step 4:
Roll out the black fondant thin and roughly cut three rectangles as shown with the top of the cutter.

Step 5:
Use the rolling cutter to trim each small black rectangle into a thin oval shape.

Step 6:
Dampen the back of the thin ovals and attach them to the top edge of each hot cocoa topper. Then use the stick tool to depress three dents for the “marshmallows.”

Step 7:
Put a tiny dab of icing writer in each dent as edible glue. Then gently press the black sugar pearls in place as the eyes and the white pearl candies in place as the marshmallows.

Step 8:
Apply blush with the small brush and pink dust. Apply smiles with red edible marker.

Step 9:
Cut out tiny red hearts as an accent.

Step 10:
Use the 1” circle cutter to cut out a small piece of rounded white fondant as shown and depress a round dent in it. This will be the handle of the hot cocoa mug.

Step 11:
Use water to attach the accent heart and the mug handle. Angle the mug handle up a bit as it dries so it isn’t completely flat.

Mitten Step 1:
Cut out three rectangular pieces of white fondant.

Step 2:

I used an X-acto knife and rolling cutter to trim the rectangle into a mitten shape I liked. Of course, if you own a mitten cookie cutter, you can simply use it.

Step 3:
Use the tiny flower cutter to remove a flower shape from the top of each mitten. Press dents for the eyes in each mitten with the stick tool.

Step 4:
Cut out one tiny red flower and three medium red flowers for each mitten.

Step 5:
Wet the edge of the tiny flower and fit it snuggly into the space as shown. Apply the face following the same steps used above in the hot cocoa tutorial. Finally, wet the backs of the medium flowers and arrange them to form the cuff of the mitten.

Penguin Step 1:
I have been making three of each topper design to achieve a set of a dozen. So, the first step to make three penguins is to cut out 3 large black ovals, three medium white ovals and three tiny black ovals (halved for flippers.)

Step 2:
After cutting out all of the basic shapes, trip the medium white pieces as shown using your medium oval cutter and rolling cutter.

Step 3:
Apply the medium white ovals to each penguin body by dampening the back with your water pen and pressing them in place. Apply the small black flippers as well. Make dents for their eyes with the stick tool.

Step 4:
Similar to the designs above, I attached the eyes, applied the blush with edible powder, and used the edible marker to draw a beak.

Step 5:
Add two tiny red hearts (upside down) the the feet and a tiny red flower as a cute accent on the head.

As a final step, I took a clean brush with some pearl shimmer dust and added some sparkle to the hood of the Eskimo girl and the red accent shapes of the other toppers. Let them dry for several days on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and use them to dress up your winter-time sweets!

Happy caking!
Renée