Clown cupcakes
(Image credit: Future)

The kids are going to love these fun clown cupcake toppers. We've provided you with a basic cupcake and vanilla buttercream recipe below but feel free to experiment with different flavoured sponges like chocolate or lemon instead.

The coloured fondants used in this recipe are available in packs in most supermarkets. You can make different shades by adding white fondant and kneading together with ready-coloured fondant. Victoria uses Sugarflair paste colour to colour her fondant and pastes. Throwing a circus party? Get some fun ideas with our circus party guide

Ingredients

  • 1x batch of our cupcake recipe
  • 1x batch of our buttercream icing
  • 125g red modelling paste
  • 125g white fondant
  • 20g light blue fondant
  • 20g green fondant
  • 20g orange fondant
  • 40g red fondant
  • 20g black fondant
  • 30g skin tone fondant
  • 60g yellow modelling paste
  • 10g purple modelling paste
  • Chinese clear noodles
  • Black sugar pearls

Step 1

Make up a batch of our basic cupcakes and allow to cool.

Whip up our classic buttercream and either pipe a swirl onto the cakes or spread a layer with a palette knife.




Step 2

To make the base for the toppers, roll the red modelling paste out to 1/8 of an inch thick and cut 12x 68mm circles with the scalloped edge.

Roll the white fondant out to 2mm thick and cut 12x 58mm white circles and stick them to the red circles with a brush of water. Leave to dry on a sponge or greaseproof paper.



Step 3

To make the hair, roll out the green, orange fondant and the yellow paste. Using the blossom cutter, cut 6x flowers per topper (24 altogether) for the hair, sticking to the outside edge of the topper with a brush of water.

Make sure you roll it pretty thin on the face will bend up on each side. Use Trex or a silicone pastry mat on your work surface to stop the fondant sticking.



Step 4

Roll the skin tone fondant and cut 4x 45mm circles, then stick in the centre of the topper, slightly overlapping the hair on each side.

Roll the white fondant and cut 2x 45mm circles and cut them in half. Using the 30mm oval cutter, cut a small section from the top of the semi-circle and trim the corners slightly so they angle down. Stick the white onto the skin tone circles with a brush of water.



Step 5

Roll the red fondant and cut 4x 30mm ovals and place into the white section on the face.



Step 6

Cut 8x circles using the 10mm circle cutter. Using the 30mm oval cutter, trim off the bottom part so as the circle fits onto the nose. Stick with a dot of water. With another dot of water, add the black pearls for the centres of the eyes.



Step 7

Roll the black fondant and cut 4x 2cm squares. Using a sharp knife cut a ‘T’ shape from the squares angling the sides slight into the ‘T’ at the bottom. Using a circle cutter, trim the top of the ‘T’ to give you a bow effect. Stick at the top of the head with a brush of water.



Step 8

Draw the smile using the edible black ink pen.





Step 9

Cut 4x daisies and roll tiny balls of yellow modelling paste for the centres, you can use a daisy centre stamp if you have one. Cut a small piece of Chinese noodle and attach to the daisy. Push the noodle through to topper at the side of the hat and remove it for now. The flowers stand up better once the toppers are on the cakes.



Step 10

Roll and cut 8x 60mm ovals from the yellow modelling paste. Fold all the ovals in half and stick 2 together and stick the fold in the middle onto the topper with a brush of water. Roll 4x 2cm balls of yellow paste, slightly squash with your finger and stick them to the centre join of the bow.



Step 11

Roll out the coloured fondant and paste and cut coloured dots, sticking them onto the bow as you go with a tiny dot of water.




Step 12

From the leftover coloured fondant and paste, cut 52x 15mm circles and arrange 13 on each of the 4 toppers in a balloon shape. Roll tiny balls of fondant/paste, indent with the star tool or a cocktail stick and stick them to the base of the balloons at the bottom with a brush of water. Draw the strings onto the topper using the blue edible ink pen.





Step 13

Clown cupcakes

(Image credit: Future)

Place the finished toppers onto the cakes and push the daisies into the clowns hat.






You might also like…

Chocolate cupcake recipe

Vanilla cupcakes recipe

Lemon cupcakes

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.