DIY Animal Ears Cake Toppers
Make your cake roar with charm! Learn to create adorable fondant Animal Ears Cake Toppers with this easy DIY tutorial, perfect for animal-themed parties.
Add a playful twist to your next cake with these adorable fondant DIY Animal Ears Cake Toppers! Perfect for birthday parties, baby showers, or any animal-themed celebration, these fondant toppers bring fun and personality to your dessert.
Once upon a time, my first child was my fur kid, Thomas. We go way back to my college days when I rescued him from the middle of a four-lane road. And he was just big enough to fit in the palm of my hand. I bottled-fed him, made my dad extremely angry for having a pet in our college rental house, and got super attached. And now here we are almost 7 years later, with another birthday just around the corner!
He’s spoiled as all get and refuses to eat any other wet food besides Fancy Feast’s Gravy Lover’s and Broths. He even has his own fancy DIY litter box Cover and DIY pet pillow Being that I’m obsessed with Thomas, I threw him a party for his 7th birthday and created these DIY Animal Ear Cake Toppers.
With a few simple tools and easy-to-shape fondant, you can create charming animal ears that stand out beautifully atop any cake. Our tutorial will guide you step-by-step in crafting fondant ears for various animals, from cute cat ears to playful bunny shapes. It’s an easy way to turn an ordinary cake into a memorable, whimsical DIY cake topper centerpiece!
Materials and Tools Needed for DIY Animal Ears Cake Toppers
- Fondant or gum paste — To use for molding the shapes
- Toothpicks or mini wooden dowels
- Mini leaf cookie cutter — To create bunny ears and deer ears
- Cat cookie cutter
- Edible gold dust — Optional to color your ears. You can also opt for gel food color for painting.
- Clear lemon or almond extract — To mix with edible gold dust or gel food color for a smooth and even paint effect. This ensures the color adheres without smudging.
- Food dedicated paint brush
- Rolling pin
How to Make Bunny Ears
1 — Roll out white fondant to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a leaf-shaped cookie cutter to cut out two ear shapes for the bunny ears.
2 — Roll a small ball of fondant to serve as the base to attach both ears.
3 — Press the bottom of each ear shape onto the fondant ball, blending the seams gently with your fingers to ensure a smooth connection. Insert a toothpick into the bottom of the fondant ball to secure the ears in place on the cake.
How to Make Cat Ears
1 — Roll out white fondant to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use the pointed edge of a cat silhouette cookie cutter to cut out two small triangle shapes for the ears. If you don’t have a cat-shaped cutter, use a leaf cutter or simply shape small triangles by hand.
2 — Insert a toothpick into the bottom of each triangle to help secure the ears when placing them on the cake.
How to Make Deer Ears
1 — Roll out white fondant to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a leaf-shaped cutter to cut out the base.
2 — Gently smooth and round the edges of each shape with your fingers, then make a straight cut across the bottom to create a flat edge.
3– Insert a toothpick into the bottom of each shape to secure them for placing on the cake.
Turning Your Ears into Animals Cake Toppers
1 — Now that your shapes have been created, allow the fondant ears to dry for at least 24 hours so they harden and keep their shape. For extra dimension, place them on a curved plate while drying.
2 — Once the ears have fully hardened, mix a small amount of edible gold dust with clear extract and paint it onto each ear for a touch of sparkle. Let the paint dry completely.
3 — Insert the ears into mini fondant-covered cakes, and your cake toppers are ready to shine at the party!
Animal Cake Toppers Tutorial and Tips
- Use Tylose Powder for Fondant: If you’re using fondant, adding a pinch of Tylose powder can help it dry faster and harden better, making the ears sturdier.
- Work on a Non-Stick Surface: Roll out your fondant on a silicone mat or a lightly greased surface to avoid sticking and tearing.
- Prevent Cracks with Shortening: If the fondant starts to crack while shaping, gently knead in a tiny amount of shortening to make it more pliable.
- Let Toothpicks Dry in Place: After inserting the toothpicks, let the fondant shapes dry with the toothpicks already in place. This prevents damage from trying to insert them later.
- Create Texture for Realism: For added detail, use the back of a knife or a sculpting tool to add subtle texture lines on the ears for a realistic look.
- Experiment with Shape: If you’re aiming for more dimension, try shaping the ears on crumpled paper or an egg carton to create natural curves.
- Plan Ahead for Drying Time: Make the ears at least a day or two in advance to ensure they have enough time to fully harden before adding to the cake.
More DIY Cake Topper Ideas
Wouldn’t these would be so cute for themed animal or Disney parties, vanilla cupcakes, or even bunny ears for Easter? For more fun cake topper projects, check out our related posts from our archive –
- Balloon Garland Cake Toppe
- Paper Flower Cake Topper
- Fringed Love Cake Topper
- Ghost Peeps Dessert Toppers
DIY Animal Ears Cake Toppers
Equipment
- Mini leaf cookie cutter
- Cat cookie cutter
- Rolling pin
- Food safe paintbrush
- Toothpicks or mini wooden dowels
Materials
- Fondant or gum paste to use for molding the shapes
- Edible gold luster dust
- Clear lemon or almond extract
Instructions
To make bunny ears:
- Roll out white fondant to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a leaf-shaped cookie cutter to cut out two ear shapes for the bunny ears.
- Roll a small ball of fondant to serve as the base to attach both ears.
- Press the bottom of each ear shape onto the fondant ball, blending the seams gently with your fingers to ensure a smooth connection. Insert a toothpick into the bottom of the fondant ball to secure the ears in place on the cake.
To make the cat ears:
- Roll out white fondant to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use the pointed edge of a cat silhouette cookie cutter to cut out two small triangle shapes for the ears. If you don’t have a cat-shaped cutter, use a leaf cutter or simply shape small triangles by hand.
- Insert a toothpick into the bottom of each triangle to help secure the ears when placing them on the cake.
To make the deer ears:
- Roll out white fondant to about 1/2-inch thickness. Use a leaf-shaped cutter to cut out the base.
- Gently smooth and round the edges of each shape with your fingers, then make a straight cut across the bottom to create a flat edge.
- Insert a toothpick into the bottom of each shape to secure them for placing on the cake.
For all toppers:
- Now that your shapes have been created, allow the fondant ears to dry for at least 24 hours so they harden and keep their shape. For extra dimension, place them on a curved plate while drying.
- Once the ears have fully hardened, mix a small amount of edible gold dust with clear extract and paint it onto each ear for a touch of sparkle. Let the paint dry completely.
- Insert the ears into mini fondant-covered cakes, and your cake toppers are ready to shine at the party!
Don’t forget to share your DIY Animal Ear Toppers with us on Instagram using the hashtag #sugarandclothloves. We always love seeing all of your creations!
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