I have to make a cake plus cupcakes for my nephew's 1st birthday. I have everything I need for the cake , but the cupcakes are confusing me. How would I make fondant pirate faces to put on top of the cupcakes?

Have you checked through the galleries? There are lots of examples - here are three (all very similar). Not hard to do, but very, very time consuming. I would bet I spent about 15-20 minutes on each, even though it was assembly line style.

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1083603

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1159212

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1191944

I did see them but I am new to cake decorating & all the cakes I have made so far have had step by step instuctions. I am better at following instructions then trying to make something on my own.

fill your cupcake liners 2/3 full, bake your cupcakes and when they come out of the oven place a piece of wax paper or a dish towel with no nap (cotton tea towel) over the pan then place a heavy cutting board or cookie sheet on top of the cc's to level them off. frost with a thin layer of buttercream then do the embellishments.

do fondant cut outs using cookie cutters and piping tips to create the pirates cranberryclo found from the gallery.

Hi Marge -

I remember feeling more confident if I had directions, too.

The pirates are easy.

Bake your cupcakes and ice with a flat layer of icing. The cupcakes shouldn't be too domed or high - but a little curve is ok!

Color fondant - I used black, red, white and three different skin tones.

Roll out skin toned fondant and cut with a circle cutter to fit the top of the cupcake.

Roll out red and black for bandanas. Using same circle as for your skin, cut out circles. If you need 10 red bandanas, cut out 5 circles. Cut each circle in half and place on top of "skin" to create the bandana. Repeat until all cupcakes are bandana'd.

Pinch off little bits of black and red fondant and roll into a very skinny snake to create the tie at the side of the bandana. Form into a ribbon (think breast cancer ribbon shape) and place onto fondant. Depending on the dryness of your fondant, you might need to get the knot a tiny bit wet (use a barely wet paintbrush) to get it to stick.

Cut out itsy bitsy circles of black for the eyepatch (I think I used a tip 12 to cut) and slice off a bit of it to make a flat top. Cut out strips of black to make the string of the eyepatch. Place both on faces (again, you might have to wet it a little bit).

Use skin colored fondant to make balls for noses and ears. Use the beaded end of a sewing pin to indent the ears. Stick onto skin fondant.

Do the same for eyes with white fondant. Stick onto skin fondant. Then dip the wrong end of a paintbrush into black icing coloring diluted with alcohol. Dot for the pupil.

Using an icing tip, push wide end gently into skin to create the smile. Use the beaded end of your pin to create dimples.

Now your face is done, knock yourself out decorating the bandanas. I used fondant, but you could use royal - whatever you prefer to work with.

Place faces on cupcakes and you're done!

Good luck!

Thanks for the instructions.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Thanks for the step by step instructions.  You make it sound so easy.  I must give it a try.  My soon to be 2 yr old grandson will love these cupcakes for his birthday!  Thanks again!

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