Bowling Cupcakes

It's birthday time at our house this weekend! My son is turning eight and wants to celebrate at the bowling alley. Here's a quick look at some cupcake toppers that I made to fit the bowling theme. Let me state the obvious-- I am a novice with fondant and I am sharing these not because they are bakery-perfect but because if I can do this-- you can do this! Adding a personalized topper to a store-bought cupcake is one of the easiest ways to add personality to your birthday treats.

Did I mention this is easy? It is. You can find prepared fondant in small boxes at craft stores like Michael's. Working with fondant for these small projects is like playing with play-doh. You knead the fondant to make it pliable and smooth, then shape it as you wish. Choose pure white for the bowling pins and add the red lines with Wilton's edible color markers.  To make the bowling balls take the same white fondant and tint it with whatever color you choose. Wear gloves while using the dyes. Add a small bit of color to the fondant and work the color through. Knead it like dough; fold it in half then again as you smooth the color throughout the fondant. I liked the look of a swirled bowling ball so I did stopped short of changing the white fondant to black and instead left it with patterns. Pinch off a small bit of fondant and roll into a ball. You can make the three holes with a toothpick.

I've mentioned before that I'd like to take a class in cake decorating. If I lived closer to my mother-in-law or my husband's aunt then I would watch them and learn, but in the mean time I am going to look for a class to take closer to home.