40 Cool Cupcake Decorating Ideas

Published Nov 16, 2019 By Diane

Have you ever walked past a glass window at a bakery and marveled at the beautifully decorated cupcakes? Making bakery-worthy cupcakes can be pretty intimidating but with great instructions and a little practice, you can actually mimic those cool cupcakes in no time. Whether you’re a seasoned cupcake-decorating pro or a complete rookie when it comes to decorating cupcakes, we’ve got decorating tips to help you make these beautiful treats that can prove too cute to eat. Make dazzling cupcakes with icing, fruit or buttercream frosting that will surely be a hit to kids and adults alike. We have compiled some of the most impressively decorated cupcakes for your inspiration in the kitchen. Because there’s a lot more that you can do with a cupcake than just smooth some icing on top. Get crafty and follow our simple step-by-step instructions in creating these awesome and adorable cupcakes today!

Cupcake Decorating Ideas

1. Fondant Unicorn Cupcakes

notey

My Daughter loves unicorns, so when I saw this gorgeous cupcake idea on Pinterest, I knew it would be perfect for her Birthday Party. It’s a fondant icing and ever so easy, I found some edible gold stars at Michaels and had so much fun making their cute little horns! They were a big hit, everyone loved them.

2. Swirled Cupcake Frosting

handletheheat

There are so many cake and cupcake decorating techniques that seem really complicated but are actually totally achievable. This is one of those surprisingly easy techniques to master and makes for super adorable and fun cupcakes. Watch the step-by-step video in the link that explains so simply how to achieve beautiful two-toned cupcake frosting. You could of course use three colors instead of just two for an even bolder effect! You’ll find the video link includes photo breakdowns of each method so you can see how it looks up close.

3. Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

cookingclassy

Nothing says Valentines Day quite like one of these Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting – and of course, the chocolate hearts are a must! These are some of the most decadent cupcakes I’ve ever made – and in such a good way! They are rich and luscious and oh so irresistibly chocolatey, not to mention so cute to look at. A pleasing surprise for all to behold!

4. Cinnamon Pancake Cupcakes

bakedbyrachel

I’ve always been a huge breakfast fan, I enjoy it anytime, anyplace without regret or shame. But my big dream has always been to incorporate breakfast into a desert, a perfect dessert, like a cupcake. These are so simple and so delicious, you can eat them for breakfast or dessert. I recently served them at my Daughter’s slumber party and the girls were fighting over them! They also are excellent with some crumbled bacon on top!

5. Blueberry-Blackberry Cupcakes

thelittleepicurean

When I think blueberries in baked goods, I immediately picture those ugly blueberry muffins with exploding berries and goo everywhere. Sure, they’re tasty and smell fabulous but they’re not always a pretty sight. Now, here’s a baked blueberry good that I can’t help but gawk at, but these are so pretty and they’re perfect for weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays- really any occasion. I made them for breakfast. The cake isn’t overly sweet and complements the tart cream cheese very well. The cake holds up great, it is moist and has a tight crumb. I love the natural violet color in the frosting attained from using freeze-dried blueberries. You can easily swap in other freeze-dried fruits (Trader Joe’s also has banana, pineapple, and strawberry) to make rich colored frosting and batters without using food colorings. These cupcakes remind me of the countryside and picnics and lazy summer days. Blueberry-Blackberry Cupcakes would go well with some nice cheese, a couple slices of baguette and a bottle of wine. Oh, I miss Napa and Sonoma.

6. Watermelon Cupcakes

thefirstyearblog

Kool-aid has just revolutionized my buttercream. You can take any flavor of powdered kool-aid and add it to buttercream and voila – buttercream that tastes like watermelon, mango, pink lemonade, kiwi-lime! The flavors seem endless! Plus it’s such a fun way to jazz up cupcakes for a birthday party – no longer an easy decision between vanilla or chocolate frosting.. and sometimes that’s not even easy 🙂

7. Cotton Candy Cupcakes

cookingclassy

These cupcakes have been on my to-do list for probably the last three years. Who knows what took me so long to make them! My kids thought they were the coolest thing ever and they were practically mesmerized. So, in other words, if your child has a birthday party coming up, these are the cupcakes to make! But really, if you have your own birthday party coming up, these are the cupcakes to have someone make you :). Let’s be honest we all love cotton candy. Some things never change. As far as the cotton candy flavoring goes, I used Lorann Cotton Candy flavoring and while it was good it didn’t have an exact cotton candy flavor, so with that said if you come across one that tastes just like the real thing, please do let us know in the comments! You can make them as just a vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream and just decorate them with the cotton candy and tint the frosting and people will love them just the same. I know I’m totally in love with these! They are soft and fluffy and the buttercream is simply perfect. Cupcake + cotton candy = childhood dream come true.

8. Flamingo Cupcakes

100daysofevelyn

Pink is for flamingo. According to Google Search when I typed in ‘pink animals’ in my search for something to match my pink cupcake wrappers. It was either that or weird looking sea life and insects. So flamingo cupcakes it is! I wanted to name them but could not think of any names that rhymed with Flamingo (my preferred method of naming objects. For example, I’m currently typing this post on Claire the MacBook Air). Ideas, anyone? I’ve decided to try to take a photo of my photography set up from now on. As long as I can remember to photograph it because I am terrible at reminding myself to do things. A few people have requested that I show my set up and I figured… why not. As long as nobody tells me how messy my apartment is!

9. Cupcake Bouquet

52kitchenadventures

I think a cupcake bouquet would be a lovely gift for Mother’s Day, which is coming up in two weeks. It would work for so many other occasions too – bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays, as a get well gift, or just as a pick-me-up for a friend who needs a smile (and tasty treat). This is the first one I’ve made and I love how it turned out, except I want to experiment with the fake leaves – I used tissue paper but I’m wondering if I can use real leaves somehow. I will try that out next!

10. Hydrangea Cupcakes

glorioustreats

Hydrangea bushes are in full bloom all over my neighborhood right now. I love all varieties of hydrangeas, but my favorite is this traditional shaped, blue-purple color. I picked a few this weekend and brought them inside as inspiration for cupcakes. I’ve seen cupcakes that resembled hydrangea flowers before, but I’ve never given it a try. It was much easier than I’d imagined and I was very happy with the results!