Have Fun in the Sun With These Adorable Beach-Themed Cupcakes

Summer is upon us, so there’s really just one question: who’s ready for the beach?!

Create beach-themed cupcakes with summertime details as you take in the sweet sun this season!

How to Make Fabulous Fondant Toppers

Wow clients with customized toppers for baby showers, birthdays & beyond.

Materials needed:

• Fondant (I used light blue, white, yellow, light pink, dark pink, light brown and orange, but feel free to choose your own color palette!)
• Fondant rolling pin and 1/8″ guide rings
• 1/4″ wooden dowels
• Water/edible glue and brush
• Medium and large oval cutters
• 7/8″ and 2 1/4″ round cutters
• Round scalloped cutter (choice of size)
• Large square cutter
• Round decorating tips #7 and #10
• Small flower cutter
• Small round ball tool
• Knife tool
• Small modeling stick
• Precision knife
• Thick fondant shaping foam
• Plastic wrap
• Vegetable shortening
• White soft gel paste and toothpick
• Optional: clear alcohol (ex. vodka) and corn syrup
• Optional: icing and crushed graham crackers

How to make fondant flip flop toppers

Step 1:

Roll out light blue fondant with the rolling pin and 1/8″ guide rings. Cut out two ovals with the medium oval cutter. 

Step 2:

Use the 7/8″ round cutter to trim off a piece from the side of one of the medium ovals. 

Step 3:

Round out the tips/edges where you just trimmed off a piece with your fingers to shape the flip flop. Repeat the steps for the other flip flop, making sure you trim off a piece from the opposite side.

Step 4:

Roll out yellow fondant with the rolling pin and 1/8″ guide rings. Cut out two small flowers with the cutter.

Step 5:

Use the knife tool to make indentations around the perimeter of the flower to make the petals more pronounced.

Step 6:

With the tip of the knife tool, make two small little indentations in the middle of each flower petal.

Step 7:

Place the yellow flowers on the thick fondant shaping foam and use the small ball tool to make an indentation in the center.

Step 8:

Roll out white fondant with the rolling pin and 1/8″ guide rings. Cut out four strips from the fondant using the straight edge from the large square cutter (or a rolling pastry cutter). Cut out two more circles with round decorating tip #7 and set them aside.

Step 9:

Use the precision knife to trim the white strips to form the straps for the flip flops. Gently form them over the two flip flops, shaping them into arches. When in the desired positions, glue the strips down on the flip flops.

Step 10:

With the small modeling stick, make little indentations at the ends of the straps.

Step 11:

Take the two white circles you previously cut out and roll them into balls. 

Step 12:

Glue the white circles to the center of the two flowers and glue the flowers to the flip flops.

How to make fondant popsicle toppers

Step 13:

Roll light pink fondant thick with the rolling pin and 1/4″ wooden dowels. Cut out a large oval with the cutter.

Step 14:

Use the large square cutter to trim off the two sides of the oval, as well as a larger portion off the bottom to form the popsicle. Round out the edges you cut with your fingers.

Step 15:

With the knife tool, make a rectangular-shaped hole at the bottom of the light pink fondant to later insert the popsicle stick. Make sure it is deep and wide enough to fit!

Step 16:

Cut out a circle from the thick light pink fondant with round decorating tip #10. Roll it into a ball, then shape it into a teardrop shape. Curve it a little to form a drip from the popsicle.

Step 17:

Roll out light brown fondant with the rolling pin and 1/8″ guide rings. Use the large square cutter to trim off a piece to form the popsicle stick.Let it dry a bit on your work surface to make sure it maintains its shape, but make sure to insert it in the hole you made in the popsicle to make sure it fits properly. Make any adjustments necessary.

Step 18:

Roll out the darker pink fondant with the rolling pin and 1/8″ guide rings and cut out an oval with the medium cutter.

Step 19:

Trim off the bottom of the oval and straighten the sides a bit to make a smaller version of the popsicle.

How to make a fondant inner tube topper

Step 20:

Glue the dark pink fondant to the larger popsicle, along with the little fondant drip. Use the scalloped cutter to trim off a piece to resemble a bite mark.

Step 21:

Roll out orange fondant thick with the rolling pin and 1/4″ wooden dowels. Coat the surface of the fondant with a bit of vegetable shortening, then place a piece of plastic wrap over the top. Use the 7/8″ and 2 1/4″ round cutters to cut out the pool float in the shape of a donut. The plastic wrap will aid in rounding out the sides to resemble a float!

Step 22:

For additional sheen on the pool float and popsicle, combine clear alcohol (vodka) and equal parts corn syrup in a small bowl. Mix it together and brush it over your fondant. The fondant will be sticky, to allow it to dry overnight.

Step 23:

You can use soft gel paste and a toothpick to add patterns to the flip flops. I find it best to allow the fondant to dry (usually overnight) prior to painting on it so that the color doesn’t seep into the fondant.

Making the cupcakes

Step 24:

If you would like your cupcakes to look like sand, ground up graham crackers by putting them into a large zip bag and breaking them down with a rolling pin. Ice the surface of your cupcakes, then turn them upside down into your graham cracker crumbs to coat them. Sprinkle any additional crumbs as desired and decorate your cupcakes with the fondant toppers!