Easy Pumpkin Cupcake Toppers with a Surprising “Stem”

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!

easy pumpkin cupcake toppers

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.

easy pumpkin cupcake toppers up close picture

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 whole cloves and sculpting tool laid out for use
orange fondant and sculpting tool

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.

easy pumpkin cupcake topper neing shaped  with knife

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.

orange fondant cupcake topper being shaped with knife

I preferred the not-so-sharp surface but probably any knife would do.

easy pumpkin cupcake topper being formed

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).

top of cupcake topper being shaped with small ball tool

When you’re done, use a veining tool or small ball tool to make the indention on top for the stem.

pumpkin cupcake topper ready for stem

Next up take a whole clove and just pop it on top with the fat end down and you’re done!

brown stem being placed on pumpkin topper

I reshaped these pumpkins to make them more round, but you could also do taller ones – whatever shape you like best!

easy pumpkin cupcake topper

And that’s it! These little pumpkins can be used immediately! I used them on cupcakes and on a cake – perfection:

two pumpkins ready for cupcakes

Easy Pumpkin Cupcake Toppers with Whole Clove Stem

chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing and pumpkin toppers

Here’s the little Pumpkin Patch Scarecrow Cake that I also added some pumpkins:

Pumpkin Patch Scarecrow Cake 2 tier with pumpkins decor

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11 Comments

      1. 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.

          1. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

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