Summer Fun Cupcakes

Aren't these so cute? We went to a BBQ last weekend and I decided these would be enjoyed by both the grown-ups and kids...and they were! Everyone loved them and was very impressed by the fondant decorations. This was my first time working with fondant but after a little practice these were actually very fun and easy to make.

Summer Fun Fondant Decorations

Wilton's ready-to-use, pure white rolled fondant
Wilton's gel food colors (assorted colors)
Wilton's summer fun candy mold
vegetable shortening

Begin by washing your hands very well and rolling up sleeves. Fondant, like any dough picks up everything!
Next, apply a small bit of shortening to your hands and rub well. You'll need this so the fondant doesn't stick to your hands. Then lightly grease the inside of the candy molds with shortening also.
Now cut off a small amount of fondant from the fondant block. Follow package instructions on how to knead fondant to make it pliable. Then add color by taking a small amount of gel food coloring and applying it to the fondant. Knead the fondant till the color is completely incorporated. Do the same for the rest of the colors you wish to use. Make sure to keep colored fondant in baggies to prevent them from drying out.
Press and layer the fondant into the molds to make the decorations. This was the fun part. Then put the mold into a Ziploc bag and stick it in the freezer for 30-45 min to harden. Remove from the freezer and pry the decorations out of the molds.
Then just store in an air tight container or on a plate wrapped with plastic wrap till ready to use.

Cake

I used a box cake mix to keep things simple. For these cupcakes I used lemon flavor cake mix to give them a "summery" feel.

Frosting

I made a simple buttercream frosting for these, made with butter, confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla. I will post recipe another time. I honestly just eyeballed the amounts since I've made this frosting so many times before. I used a Wilton's #1 tip to pipe the frosting on to the cooled cupcakes.