These Easy Pumpkin Cupcake Toppers with a Surprising "Stem" are so easy to make. You can make the pumpkin with fondant or modeling chocolate and the stem is the fun addition of a fragrant whole clove. It's perfection!
October is just flying by and it makes me so sad. This is by far my most favorite season and I just want time to slow down a bit. This week will be super busy again, but there's a break in my future.
We're about to take a short 4-day Fall vacation to the Ozark Mountains and Silver Dollar City. We're super excited about the down time and getting away from the "real life" for a few days.
Plus - seeing the Ozarks in the Fall - it's going to be amazing I'm sure! Colorful leaves, the smell of wood-burning fires, warm drinks and pumpkins everywhere. I can.not.wait.
But before I go... let's talk about pumpkins. Easy Pumpkin Cupcake Toppers to be exact. And I have a fun little surprise for the stems. Whole Cloves!! Here's a short video and then keep scrolling for the picture picturorial below:
This is not my original idea.... I'm pretty sure the first time I saw it was when Rudy from Man Bakes Cake shared the idea a few years ago. By the way - if you ever get a chance to meet him in person, do! He's a gem!!
Back to the pumpkins... since seeing Rudy do them, I've seen the idea in other places too so I'm not sure where it originated.
But still - it's not a widely promoted idea as far as I can tell - so I wanted to share with YOU, just in case you haven't seen it yet.
Here's what you'll need:
- Orange Fondant or Orange Modeling Chocolate (I made homemade marshmallow fondant and colored it with orange gel coloring)
- Whole Cloves
- Dull knife or sculpting tool
- Veiner /Sculpting tool (see in pics below)
Alrighty... first up tear off a piece of fondant however large you want the pumpkin to be. A large gumball seamed to be a good size for me.
I used the back side of a small paring knife to make the lines in the pumpkin. You could also use a butter knife or a sculpting tool.
I preferred the not-so-sharp surface but probably any knife would do.
Keep rotating until you have lines all t he way around from top-to-bottom (go back up to the video if I'm not being clear).
When you're done, use a veining tool or small ball tool to make the indention on top for the stem.
Next up take a whole clove and just pop it on top with the fat end down and you're done!
I reshaped these pumpkins to make them more round, but you could also do taller ones - whatever shape you like best!
And that's it! These little pumpkins can be used immediately! I used them on cupcakes and on a cake - perfection:
Easy Pumpkin Cupcake Toppers with Whole Clove Stem
Here's the little Pumpkin Patch Scarecrow Cake that I also added some pumpkins:
What a neat and easy idea....I especially loved the pumpkin patch cake. Very cute.
Thanks Amy!
Have you ever heard of this idea? One tub of ready to spread frosting and added powdered sugar to make icing dough that is very similar to fondant? I needed a fondant and did not have enough ingredients or a way to get them to make or purchase some and a friend shared it with me. Works great in a pinch.
I have not heard of that 🙂
Oh ok. I'll share it. I used 1 tub of any ready to spread frosting. (I used Pillsbury Vanilla) and 1 to 1 1/2, cups powdered sugar to the consistency of your choice. Add coloring as needed. Most of us who do cakes a lot just use fondant but sometimes this comes in really handy. Chocolate works too.
You knew just what I needed. I am making pumpkin cupcakes for a potluck at church and wanted something cut for them. Can't wait to get started.
Awww, so happy to hear it 🙂
What a cute and simple idea! I think I may just whip some up tonight.
Oh Rose, have fun at Silver Dollar City. It's one of the places my family loves going to for vacation.
Hi Rose,
How many pounds of fondant do you think I would need to make 35 of these? I was going to buy the pre-made pre-colored fondant because my kitchen is too tiny to make my own.
My pumpkins were about 1 oz. each, so 2 1/4 pounds. If you made them a little smaller, you might get by with just 2 pounds.