Cupcakes topped with 8-bit Zelda designs formed from fondant.

I’ve always avoided making fondant due to its less-than-tasty nature. Until now. I happened upon a recipe that prides itself on being delicious and decided to give it a shot.
For the cupcake batter, any recipe works. With whatever cupcake recipe you decide to go with, you’ll want to fill the cupcake pan a little over two-thirds full.

Makin’ the cupcakes.

Allow the cupcakes to allow before adding the fondant.
Ingredients for fondant:

1 egg white
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
4-5 cups powdered sugar, plus some for dusting
Vegetable shortening
Food coloring

Beat the egg white and corn syrup in a large bowl.
Slowly mix in the powdered sugar with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens.

Dust down some powdered sugar so the dough doesn’t stick, and knead a few times until a paste forms. If the dough beings to crack, work in a bit of the shortening until it smooths out again. You can store the fondant in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Roll out the fondant to 1/4″ thickness. Use a cookie cutter that’s a tiny bit larger than your cupcake top to cut out a piece of fondant.

Place the circular bit of fondant on top of the cupcake and lightly push down the edges.

To create colored fondant, work in the food coloring a bit at a time until the proper color is achieved. I used liquid food coloring, and holy cookies did that ever make a mess. Other coloring options include food coloring gel and food coloring paste. The paste can be found at craft stores and is more potent than liquid food coloring. Dip a toothpick into the paste and add to the fondant until the proper color is achieved.
Mold or cut out shapes from the colored fondant to create your designs.
Don’t forget to mix in a pinch of vegetable shortening if the fondant begins to dry out! I was lazy with this part near the end, which is why a few of my yellow toned cupcakes have cracks. Oop.
Makes enough fondant for a dozen cupcakes.

The entire batch.

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