I’ve been putting together some ideas to share with you for a lion birthday party over the last couple days. I remembered a lion cupcake topper I made a couple years ago, but never wrote up and posted here! Crazy, right? I made several jungle animal fondant cupcake toppers that night, and the only one I’ve shared so far is the elephant cupcake topper. He’s my favorite, but I also really like this fondant lion.
It’s not hard at all to make! Honestly creating with fondant is like playing with modeling clay! You can even put the kids to work helping you create fondant animals. Here’s the lion cupcake topper how to:
Lion Fondant Cupcake Topper:
Materials
- One container white fondant for every 12 cupcakes (more if you don’t use chocolate fondant)
- Chocolate fondant or brown food coloring
- Golden yellow food color
- Small black round sprinkles for the center of the eyes
- Cupcakes made from your favorite mix or recipe
- A small clean craft paint brush (I have one I only use for food)
- Green decorator icing
- Shortening (like Crisco)
Directions:
1. Bake the cupcakes according to the package or recipe directions, then set them aside to cool.
2. Tear off a piece of white fondant and set it aside. You’ll need a piece about the size of a pea for each lion for eyes. You’ll leave this white.
3. Color the rest of the white fondant golden yellow (for the lion’s head). If you didn’t get chocolate fondant reserve about 1/3 of the white fondant and use food color to color it a light brown. To color the fondant, use a toothpick to put some of the food color on the fondant, then pull and twist the fondant to blend it in. You may also need to use a little food shortening to soften the fondant and make it easier to work with.
4. Once the fondant is the desired color, break off a piece about the size of a quarter. You can make it larger or smaller, depending on the size you want your lion topper to be. Roll the piece into a ball, then flatten it into a circle.
6. Break off a smaller piece and round it for the nose.
7. Break off a small pea size piece of white fondant and tear it into two pieces. Roll both into small balls, then use the back side of your paint brush to poke a hole into the center of the circle, but don’t poke it all the way through. Insert the small black decorator candy into the hole for the center of the eye. Dip your paint brush in a little water, and “paint” the spot you want to add the eyes and nose so they will “stick.” Check out this photo for placement of the eyes and nose.
Use a small peeling knife, or the back of the paint brush to make the lion’s mouth. Add a small bit of chocolate fondant for the tip of his nose.
8. Break off a small pea size piece of yellow fondant and tear it into two pieces. Work both pieces into a tear shape for the lions ears. Use the end of the paint brush to make indents in the ears. Check out the very first photo for placement. Paint the spot where you want them to stick with a little water.
9. To make the lion’s mane, roll a good size piece of chocolate fondant into a long thin strip. Then work it back and forth to make a zig zag pattern. It’s hard to describe, just check out the picture!
Work the mane around the lion’s head.
10. Ice the cupcakes with your favorite decorator icing. I used green for the jungle, and a decorating tip with small holes all over the top to make it look like grass.
You could make this lion fondant cupcake topper a little larger, and use it as a first birthday cake topper too. I have a couple lion craft ideas, and I’ve found some super cute lion party decorations. I’ll be back to share some lion party ideas in the next day or so!
