9 Too-Cute Fall Cupcake Toppers

Celebrate the start of cozy season with these adorable autumnal treats.

By: Heather Baird

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Photo By: Heather Baird SprinkleBakes.com ©Heather Baird SprinkleBakes.com

All Your Fall Favorites

Fall means apple picking, cozy plaid scarves and (of course) lots and lots of pumpkin. But, psst, here's a secret: All of that stuff is even better when you turn it into a cupcake. Here are nine icons of fall — cupcake-ified.

Harvest Apple

Play sculptor with your frosting and you can create a bushel of apples even sweeter than the ones found in an orchard. Use an offset spatula to apply a mound of frosting to the top of each cupcake. Make divots in the centers of the frosting mounds and then dip them in red or green sparkling sugar. Fashion a chocolate chew into an apple stem by cutting it lengthwise into a few pieces and and then rolling the pieces between your palms. Place a candy stem upright in the center of each divot. Use matching red and green cupcake liners for maximum cuteness.

Pumpkin Patch

Frost cupcakes with buttercream and immediately cover them with dyed shredded coconut or green sprinkles — check baking supply stores for long, skinny ones that resemble grass. Place three or more store-bought candy pumpkins on top and tuck mint leaves between them for the teeniest little pumpkin patch ever.

Buffalo Plaid

These toppers are proof that cupcakes can look cozy! Roll out ready-made red fondant onto a sheet of waxed paper. Cut out 2-1/2-inch rounds with a cookie cutter. Using a clean paintbrush (and not one that you've already used for painting!), brush on 1/2-inch-wide stripes of black food coloring. Let them stand until dry, about 1 hour. Then pop each disk on top of a frosted cupcake.

Acorns

Keep this batch away from the squirrels. Knead two chocolate chews together and shape into an oval. Then, flatten one end so it resembles a stumpy acorn shape. Use dots of frosting to attach a vanilla cookie cap and a peanut butter chip stem. Place them on top of frosted cupcakes, and add chocolate sprinkles for extra flair.

Chocolate Leaves

Small maple leaves and other foliage can be used like molds to make beautiful chocolate decorations. Just be sure to consult your florist or garden center to ensure that the leaves you're using are nontoxic — don't guess! First, wash and dry the leaves. Paint melted chocolate on the backs of the leaves (where the veining is most prominent) and chill them in the freezer for 10 minutes. Gently peel the leaves away from the chocolate. Arrange however you like on frosted cupcakes.

Caramel Candy Corn

Crispy caramel corn and chewy candy corn create the ultimate cupcake for an autumn party. Pipe buttercream frosting onto your favorite homemade cupcake and then generously pile on the toppings!

Bright Mums

Chrysanthemums are a common sight in autumn, and they make delightful cupcake toppers. Pinch or cut the blooms off near the stem. Rinse well and let them air-dry for several minutes before placing on top of cupcakes. Mums are generally nontoxic to humans, but wrap each of the stems in plastic wrap before inserting them into the cupcakes, and consult your florist if you're worried about pesticides.

Harvest Corn

These inventive desserts can double as a centerpiece for your fall table. First, frost cupcakes with orange buttercream. Place yellow jelly beans side by side in rows on each cupcake, throwing in an occasional brown or red jelly bean to mimic the appearance of harvest corn. Group three cupcakes together to form a corncob.

Pumpkin Spice S'mores

Pumpkin spice buttercream gives everyone’s favorite summer treat a fall twist. Stir a drop of orange food color into plain buttercream and add pumpkin pie spice to taste. Place a mini chocolate bar and a graham cracker upright into the frosting. Use a chef’s torch or the oven broiler to lightly toast marshmallows. Let them cool slightly, and then put one on each cupcake. Finish the look with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon.