Cupcake toppings can range from simple powdered sugar to complex marzipan and royal icing decorations. Buttercream and whipped cream are popular, while fruit, chocolate, and nuts can also be used. Molds and edible figurines can add a whimsical touch, and ground-up foods can be sprinkled on top.
There are a variety of cupcake toppings available, some very traditional and some very complex and unique. For a sweet, standard topping, buttercream or royal icing are popular. When elaborately decorated, the marzipan can be cut to fit the surface and stacked to the desired thickness to support plastic or sugar figurines. Whipped cream, fruit preserves, melted chocolate, or nut-based sauces can be used as cupcake toppings. Simple toppings can be made by simply dusting the surface of the cupcake with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or colored sugar pearls.
One of the most familiar toppings for cupcakes is buttercream icing. This is simply made from butter that has been whipped until creamy and then mixed with sugar. It is versatile and can be flavored with vanilla, chocolate or liqueur and colored with a few drops of food coloring. It can provide a rich, creamy taste to accompanying cupcakes.
Royal icing, which is sugar-based frosting that dries to a solid sugary state, can be used to make a crunchy crust on top of cupcakes. Like butter, it can be flavored and colored to suit the situation. Icing is often used with marzipan, a malleable sheet of almond paste and sugar, because marzipan can create a clean, flat surface and royal icing can create solid patterns and decorations on top of it.
For some events, special cupcake toppings can be made from regular confections and placed on top of a frosting base. This can include shaved chocolate curls or pieces of fruit that have been dipped in simple syrup to give them a glossy look. White chocolate chips, grated hazelnuts, or premade candy pieces or sprinkles can be placed on top for extra flavor.
There are also molds available that can be filled with melted chocolate or colored sugars that create three-dimensional (3D) designs such as butterflies, flowers or stars that can be used as whimsical toppings for cupcakes. Different types of fruit, such as apples and pears, can be carved and placed to create small edible figurines. Any sweet substance, such as chocolate or royal icing, that can be sprinkled as a liquid before it hardens can be used on wax paper to create delicate, solid shapes that can be popped out of the paper and placed on top of a cupcake that has been frosted.
Foods that can be ground up can also be made into cupcake toppings by sprinkling them on the frosted tops. Chopped almonds or peanuts, chopped chocolate chip cookies, or graham crackers work well. For a fancier topping, a thick sauce made from reduced fruit topped with caramel sauce can add sweetness and texture to the cupcake.
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