Making figure model cake toppers can seem like a daunting task for new cake decorators but with a bit of practice, it soon becomes a rewarding and enjoyable skill and one you’ll put to lots of use in your cake decorating.
Starting out, learn the basics of cake topper modelling from the experts, but as you progress you’ll begin to develop your own style, with unique facial expressions, hairstyles and postures bringing your characters to life.
For beginners, you’ll find an excellent tutorial here from Eat The Evidence to get you started: cake topper tutorial for beginners (sitting male figure).
The wonderful Artisan Cake Company has made an excellent series of cake topper tutorials, including the figures above :
- male cake topper tutorial (sitting)
- female cake topper tutorial (sitting/expectant Mum)
- standing cake topper tutorial
The Artisan Cake Company also created the terrific footballer cake topper below, which is an excellent cake topper to have in your portfolio for cakes for boys and men.
Another great cake topper below for men’s cakes from Cake Design Brazil and you’ll find the tutorial here: cake topper tutorial/construction worker cake (no longer available).
Below, you’ll find a standing cake topper picture tutorial for a teenager or young man, courtesy of Serbia’s Minjina Kuhinjica.
Bake Happy have also put together a great set of cake topper tutorials, starting with the little boy below: boy cake topper tutorial (standing) (no longer available).
A little girl cake topper by Bake Happy below: girl standing cake topper tutorial (no longer available).
The little girl cake topper below left is by Mimicafe NY and you’ll find the tutorial here: girl cake topper tutorial (sitting).
Below right is a super cute cake topper idea from Peace of Cake Design that could be adapted for a teenager’s cake, a 21st birthday cake or even as part of a bride and groom topper.
Fantasticakes by Cecile have made a tutorial for their terrific “Parisienne girl” sugar model (below left) which you’ll find here: teenager cake topper/girl cake topper (sitting).
Another great girl cake topper (below right) with tutorial via De Leukste Taarten, NL: girl cake topper/teenager cake topper.
Two more fabulous sets of cake toppers below by Mutlu Dukkan Cakes (below left) and a fashionista cake topper by Madame Gateau, below right to inspire you.
Faces can be tricky to get right when you start out modelling sugar figures and cake toppers. For beginners, it’s best to keep it to very simple with easy cartoon-style faces. As your skills develop, you can work on your facial features more. Deleukste Taarten NL demonstrate how to make the detailed young female face below, in their tutorial here : female face cake topper tutorial.
Playing around with hairstyles is the most fun part of making cake toppers and you’ll find some hairstyle ideas below by Canada’s, House of The Rising Cake.
More inspiration from The Artisan Cake Company with their two fabulous baby shower cake toppers below.
Elaine Thomas of Creative Celebration Cakes UK has put together some tutorials on the trickier aspect of modelling sugar figures/cake toppers:
- modelling arms and hands cake topper tutorial
- cake topper faces tutorial
- cake topper tutorial – mouths, noses and ears
(Images below by Creative Celebration Cakes, UK).
And you’ll find a tutorial here on modelling ladies’ legs for cake toppers by Molly Coppini.
The fun cupcakes below – cupcake faces – were created by Bake Happy and their tutorial provides lots of inspiration and tips to help you create faces for your sugar models and cake toppers also: tutorial for cupcake faces (no longer available).
We have more terrific cupcakes faces below left by Shereen’s Cakes and Bakes, designed for a little girl’s princess themed party. You’ll find the full tutorial here, with tips you can adapt for your figure models: face cupcakes tutorial/princess cupcakes.
Below right, some ideas on painting eyes on a female cake topper (image via Pinterest).
Below, we have another picture tutorial on painting eyes from Kidacity.
Sweetopia also have a tutorial on making eyes for your cake toppers: cake topper eyes tutorial.
You’ll find a tutorial here also from cake topper expert, Tal Tsafrir, on painting eyes for sugar models: cake topper eyes tutorial.
Spain’s Berna Garcia of Ilusiona Cakes (via Revista Sweet Crew) shows how to create the cake topper hairstyle below in her tutorial here: cake topper fringe hairstyle tutorial (no longer available).
This hairstyle is perfect for young men/teenage cake toppers, but is actually a female hairstyle…! (Berna goes on to add a side swept ponytail in the tutorial).
For a ladies’ hair tutorial, you’ll find one here on creating long blonde hair for cake toppers: cake topper hair tutorial (long blonde).