Dinosaur cupcakes often make a cute and festive dessert for a science, dinosaur, or paleontology-themed birthday party. There are several ways to decorate these cupcakes. For little boys and girls that love dinosaurs or action figures, small plastic dinosaurs are simple decorations that the kids get to take home. Those that prefer entirely edible decorations may choose a couple of options for creating dinosaurs from fondant.
One of the easiest tips for creating dinosaur cupcakes is to simply wash miniature, plastic dinosaur toys in liquid dish soap, dry them, and press one into the top of each frosted cupcake. Small dinosaur toys are usually available at most toy shops and craft stores. Bakers using this method may want to use green frosting or sprinkle the frosting the with green sprinkles to simulate grass. This method for decorating dinosaur cupcakes works best for children old enough to know not to put the tiny toys in their mouths. Cleaning the dinosaurs typically makes it safe for children to lick the frosting off of the plastic feet.
Another tip for decorating dinosaur cupcakes involves making the reptiles from fondant. Bakers unskilled or unused to sculpting three-dimensional figures from clay should typically choose to make flat dinosaur decorations. This usually involves rolling out a .25 (about .5 cm) thick sheet of fondant and using dinosaur-shaped cookie cutters to cut designs from it. Once the fondant dries for about an hour, bakers may use piping bags and frosting to put spots, stripes, and faces on these flat dinosaurs. Decorating the dinosaurs with edible paint may even be a fun craft for children at a themed party.
Dried flat decorations may be placed on the frosted cupcakes so they stand upright or lie flat. Decorations intended to stand upright should typically be decorated on both sides. Bakers usually have to wait for the decorations on one side to dry before flipping them over to decorate the other side. Making any kind of fondant dinosaur decorations is often time-consuming, so bakers should set aside anywhere from six to 12 hours to make dinosaur cupcakes, from start to finish.
The last tip for making dinosaur cupcakes involves molding three-dimensional dinosaurs from fondant or modeling chocolate. The baker can handle these materials just like modeling clay, gently molding and pinching it with the hands and fingers. Making the bodies separate from the legs is typically easier than trying to sculpt the whole body at once. To join legs and bodies, the baker may use small dots of royal icing or warm modeling chocolate. The dinosaurs should typically dry overnight for best results.