safari cupcake design

Surprise Inside Safari Cupcakes

I’m obsessed with surprises. There’s nothing like putting a smile on someone’s face because you gave them a surprise that they truly didn’t expect. I also love throwing in that element of surprise when I bake. On the outside, these may seem like ordinary safari cupcakes, but there is an animal print surprise on the inside! These Surprise Inside Safari Cupcakes are guaranteed to be a hit at a kids (or adult!) party! If you love safari animals, check out my Zebra Cake .

Something that really adds a nice touch to these cupcakes are these cupcake wrapper templates. You can print those out here . I’d print them on card stock and put them on at end after the cupcakes are baked.

Instructions:

  • Preheat a moderate oven (175°C/350°F)
  • Make your vanilla cake mix per the packaging instructions.
  • Place two spoonfuls of vanilla cake mix into a small bowl, and add 4 spoonfuls of cake mix into another small bowl.
  • Add black food colouring to that vanilla cake mix well.
  • Place half of your remaining vanilla cake mix to a snap seal bag. Also add your entire brown cake mix into a snap seal bag, and your entire black cake mix into a snap seal bag.
  • Line your cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
  • Cut a fine large tip from your snap seal bag with vanilla cake mix. Pipe about ⅓ of your cupcake liners with vanilla cake mix into 6 of your cupcake liners.
  • With the black cake mix, pipe another layer directly over the brown cake layer design.
  • Pipe your vanilla cake mix with a swirl starting in the center and moving outwards.
  • Repeat the process of creating the bullseye in each of the cupcakes with a black, brown, black bullseye pattern. Then add another vanilla cake layer. Make sure this doesn’t fill over ⅔ of the cake.
  • Add your remaining brown cake mix and add it into your white cake mix. Add orange food colouring and mix well.
  • Spoon a layer of orange cake mix to the bottom of the remaining 6 cupcake liners.
  • Bake in a moderate oven for about 12 minutes.
  • Use a pastry brush to paint orange spots on an unmelted white candy melt. Draw a black ring around the orange. Draw black tiger stripes on unmelted orange candy melts.
  • Wrap your printed animal print card cupcake wrappers, and wrap them around the bottom of the base of your cupcake. Tape where the 2 edges meet.

These cupcakes are wild! 🐅 🐆

For the printable recipe click here:   http://bit.ly/2hjUfeb

What You’ll Need:

  • Vanilla cake mix (box cake) & ingredients to make the cake mix
  • Buttercream frosting
  • Unmelted white and orange candy melts (or you can use little fondant circle disks)
  • Black food colour paste or gel
  • Orange food colour paste or gel
  • Unsweetened cocoa (or brown food colouring)
  • Sticky tape
  • Free printable wrappers
  • Cupcake tray
  • Cupcake liners
  • Small spoons
  • Large spoon
  • 2 x spare bowls
  • 3 x Zip lock bags

-Buy the My Cupcake Addiction Cookbook http://bit.ly/MCAbook -Subscribe to my YouTube channel for 2 new videos each week!   http://bit.ly/MyCupcakeAddiction -Follow me on Facebook for short snappy sweet ideas daily! http://on.fb.me/1cOOpu6 -Share your sweets with me on Instagram http://bit.ly/134thON Use the #mycupcakeaddiction so I can see them & I’ll re-share some of my favorites! -Sign up to our #SweetSquad for early access, exclusive offers and fun party planning tips

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Find Your Cake Inspiration

Gorgeous Safari Cakes For A Special Occasion

Gorgeous Safari Cake Ideas

Hi friends! Safari cakes are among the most popular trends for birthday parties, baby showers, and special occasions! Many beautiful elements go into a safari cake, such as gold animal cake toppers, edible gold splatter, fondant animals, fondant leaves, and many more. The theme is also interchangeable with jungle-themed cake. How can you not like it? I rounded up a group of gorgeous safari cake ideas for your pleasure of viewing!

Safari Cake Ideas

Stunning safari cake.

Stunning Safari Cake

Such a beautiful cake with rice paper sails and a custom name plaque! I’ve had the pleasure of featuring her on my blog; click here .

Golden Safari Cake

Golden Safari Cake

I love the overlap buttercream on the bottom of the cake. Gorgeous cake.

King of The Jungle

King of The Jungle

All of the details on this cake are incredible!

Jungle Birthday Cake

Jungle Birthday Cake

What a lovely cake. CHocolate spheres are a wonderful addition!

Gorgeous Tiered Cake

Gorgeous Tiered Safari Cake

I love the palette painting on the top tier because it mimics the grass and fields. Please take a read about her baking journey here .

Colored Stenciled Cake

Safari Stenciled Cake

As you can see, there are endless options to make a safari cake like this with a stencil and multi-colored buttercream.

First Birthday Safari Cake

First Birthday Safari Cake

This is a pretty adorable birthday cake! Using fondant animals as a cake topper is always great.

Tall Jungle Cake

Tall Jungle Cake

So fun! The animal-printed chocolate balls are a genius idea!

Semi-Naked Safari Cake

Semi-Naked Safari Cake

Doing a semi-naked theme for a safari party is a fabulous idea! I love semi-naked cakes for their simplicity and refined look. For more semi-naked inspiration, click here .

Adorable Birthday Cake

Adorable Birthday Cake

What a cute cake. It will be a perfect baby shower cake as well! The fondant animals on the bottom tier are so darling.

First Birthday Fondant Cake

First Birthday Safari Cake

Here’s one of the other wonderful safari cake ideas. I still can’t get over the cute fondant animals.

Gold & Green Jungle Cake

Gold & Green Jungle Cake

One of the cakes using mainly gold and dark green colors. I love this color scheme.

Special thanks to wonderful bakers who gave me permission to use their cakes! Please make sure to check out their beautiful creations on their Instagram. (linked below each picture)

More Specialty Cakes

15 Marvelous Carnival Cakes
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Baby Boy Shower Cakes
15 Adorable First Birthday Cake Ideas That You Will Love

Check out these Tutorials

How to Make a Letterboard Cake For Your Party
How To Make a Buttercream Tie Dye Cake

Check out more cakes!

Cake Interview with Bowman Kitchen

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Jungle Animal Cupcakes

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Introduction: Jungle Animal Cupcakes

Jungle Animal Cupcakes

Cake (cupcake) decorating can be so expensive and overwhelming at first.  Here I show you some of my techniques for making beautifully decorated and professional looking cupcakes that won't break the bank and that anybody can do.  These cupcakes have a plain vanilla base, simple butter creme frosting, and are decorated with  homemade fondant jungle animals that taste delicious. This is not your typical flavorless and hard fondant, the homemade marshmallow fondant is delicious and creates toppers that any kid, or adult, would love to eat.

Step 1: Baking the Cake

Baking the Cake

This instructable focuses on a method for decorating cupcakes, the combination of flavors are endless and completely up to you.  I enjoy a simple vanilla cupcake with traditional butter creme frosting to showcase the fondant sculptures on top of each.  Bake the cake: Purchase your favorite boxed cake mix (even the off brands work great, they are all the same basic ingredients) and prepare it following the instructions on the box.  Make sure to use room temperature eggs so that your cupcakes bake up light and fluffy.  Using boxed cake mix is not cheating (These will still be homemade), I believe it is a simple way to make sure the cupcake tastes great and proportions of sugar, flour, baking powder, etc are correct.  I've experimented with many different homemade batter recipes and I've found that its not the base cake that makes the dessert special, but rather it is the optional fillings and toppings that make the cupcake special.  Pour your cupcakes into cupcake pans that have been lined with cupcake papers.  I like to use solid aluminum wrappers because they are typically the least expensive and (typically 79 cents for 50-75!) will not distract from the sculpted piece or decoration that you top the cupcake with.  Designer cupcake papers are overrated and way too pricey! Do not under bake the cupcakes! Many inexperienced bakers often worry about over baking the cupcakes so they end up taking them out too early only to find a sticky mess.  Test the cupcakes with a toothpick or by pressing the top with your finger to see if they spring back.  Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 2 minutes then flip them out onto a cooling rack to completely cool before frosting.

Step 2: Making the Buttercreme Frosting

Making the Buttercreme Frosting

Yum, nothing is better than a classic butter creme frosting. Here is my basic recipe. 1 cup unsalted butter (two sticks) 3-4 cups confectioners sugar (sifted) 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (the real stuff!) 3-4 tablespoons water or milk. pinch of salt In a mixer creme the butter for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Slowly add in the sugar 1 cup at a time until it is incorporated into the butter.  Add in the salt, vanilla, and water/milk and whip until light and fluffy (5-10 minutes).  Add in your favorite food coloring.  I use gel coloring which can be found at almost any grocery, craft, or specialty store.  The food gel colors will not alter the consistency of your frosting and are very inexpensive. If you choose to use traditional water based food coloring just decrease the amount of liquid you add to the frosting initially so that it doesn't turn out runny. 

Step 3: Piping the Frosting Onto the Cupcakes

Piping the Frosting Onto the Cupcakes

Step 4: Make Your Own Homemade Fondant

Make Your Own Homemade Fondant

Purchasing fondant at the store is convenient, however it is not cheap.  Here I show you how to make your own homemade fondant for about $3.00.  This fondant is not only less expensive but it tastes great and the ingredients can be found at almost any convenience store. Ingredients. 16 oz bag of marshmallows ($0.99) 2 pound bag of confectioners sugar ($1.99) 2 tablespoons of water (free!) 1 teaspoon of your favorite flavoring (clear to make white fondant) (optional) Microwave the marshmallows and water in a glass bowl stirring every 15-30 seconds.  Microwave until the mixture becomes smooth and is completely melted.  Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix to combine.  Mound the remaining sugar onto a clean kitchen counter top and dump the mixture into the center.  Making sure your hands and fondant is covered in sugar, knead the mixture to incorporate the sugar.  Add in your favorite flavoring and knead to incorporate. Cover the fondant at all times when not in use to prevent it from drying out.  Take out small portions at a time and recover the remaining fondant. COLORING THE FONDANT: To color the fondant simply add a few drops of your preferred color and knead to combine.  If you are afraid of staining your hands you can wear food safe rubber/ latex gloves.  Do not use water based food dye as this will alter the consistency of the fondant, gel coloring is a very inexpensive option.  If you have any kool-aid packets lying around, these may also be used to color the fondant.

Step 5: Sculpting and Painting the Animals.

Sculpting and Painting the Animals.

Sculpting the animals is easier than it may look.  These figures are very basic shapes with exaggerated characteristics to make them stand out and identify each animal.  Roll Small pieces of fondant to create the body and form into a teardrop shape. The arms and legs use a similar tear drop shape and the head is a round ball.  Mold ears, noses, etc depending on the animal and attach using a small amount of water as the glue (if necessary).  Once sculpted let your fondant sculptures dry to firm up a bit before painting. Use gel food coloring and a paintbrush to detail the characters with stripes, eyes, etc.  Let dry before topping the cupcakes. Paint sticks better if the sculptures have had some time to dry.  I suggest waiting a few days to let them set before applying the paint, though this is not completely necessary. Use your imagination and create any animal/ creature/ design you wish. Post your creations to share your work!

Step 6: Topping Off the Cupcakes

Topping Off the Cupcakes

After the figures have dried you can set them into the cupcakes you have baked and frosted.  It is ideal to bake the cupcakes after the figures are made and dried so I typically recommend making the figures a week in advance. Arrange the cupcakes on a platter and make sure to mix up the animals so that like colors are not next to each other.  Take a photo of your masterpiece and dig in!

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Roxy's Kitchen

safari cupcake design

How To Make Safari / Jungle Animals Fondant Cupcake Toppers – Tiger, Zebra, Giraffe, Elephant, Monkey, Hippo, Bear, Lion

September 5, 2014 by Roxy

safari cupcake design

As promised, here is the full tutorial on how to make Safari / Jungle Animals Fondant Cupcake Toppers, the ones I showed you in Part I of my Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party post. Here are all the posts in case you missed them:

Part I – Dessert Ideas Part II – Appetizers, Finger Foods & Snack Ideas Part III – DIY Decoration Ideas + FREE Printables Part IV – Cheap Party Supplies & Decorations 

In this post you will find step by step instructions and photos on how to make all the toppers as well as details on all the tools I used. I made four of each animal face cupcake topper, from tigers, zebras, giraffes, elephants to monkeys, hippos, bears and lions. I think they turned out pretty adorable, right? Which one is your favourite?

I also made a few ones with the number 1 but you can personalize these ones based on your little one’s age. I used the FMM Funky Number Tappit Cutters to make the number 1.

Materials & Tools:

  • Orange, yellow, white & black fondant
  • Small fondant ball tool
  • A toothpick or the cone fondant tool which has a pointy end
  • Blunt knife fondant tool
  • #8 round piping tip
  • Small paint brush
  • Small rolling pin – I use the Wilton 9″ fondant rolling pin
  • X-Acto knife or any other sharp knife with a thin blade

Directions:

Knead and roll out the orange fondant to a 1/8 “(1/3 cm) thickness. Cut out round shapes using the 2.5 ” (6.5 cm) round cutter.

Knead and roll out the yellow fondant to the same thickness. Cut out oval shapes for the mouth.

Roll two small balls of orange fondant into a teardrop shape. Use the small ball tool to make an indentation, a bit more at the base of the ear and less towards the tip.

Cut the black stripes using the X-Acto knife and the nose shape.

For the eyes, roll out a bit of white fondant and make tiny circles using the small end of the #8 piping tip. You can shape these with your fingers as well but I find it harder to make them exactly the same in size. Attach two dots of black fondant for the pupils using a bit of water. If you want to save yourself some time you can buy the pre-made Candy Eyeballs.

Use a small brush and some water to attach all the pieces together as seen below.

Use the bigger end of a piping tip to mark the mouth and the blunt knife to mark line just below the nose. Use the pointy end of the cone fondant tool or a toothpick to mark in the cheeks.

Let the tiger face cupcake toppers dry on a flat surface.

Tutorial with Step by Step Instructions & Photos - How to Make a Fondant Tiger Cupcake Topper

  • White & black fondant
  • Small rolling pin – I use the  Wilton 9″ fondant rolling pin
  • X-Acto knife  or any other sharp knife with a thin blade

Knead and roll out the white fondant to a 1/8 “(1/3 cm) thickness. Cut out round shapes using the 2.5 ” (6.5 cm) round cutter.

Knead and roll out the black fondant to the same thickness. Cut out round shapes and then using the same cutter cut off a bit of each end to make the mouth as seen in the image below.

Roll two small balls of white fondant into a teardrop shape. Use the end of the paint brush to make an indentation, a bit more at the base of the ear and less towards the tip.

Cut the black stripes using the X-Acto knife.  For the eyes, roll out a bit of black fondant and make tiny circles using the small end of the #8 piping tip.

Use the bigger end of a piping tip to mark the mouth and the end of the paint brush to mark the nostrils.

Let the zebra face cupcake toppers dry on a flat surface.

Tutorial with Step by Step Instructions & Photos - How to Make a Fondant Zebra Cupcake Topper

  • Yellow, brown & black fondant
  • Three round piping tips in different sizes

Knead and roll out the yellow fondant to a 1/8 “(1/3 cm) thickness. Cut out round shapes using the 2.5 ” (6.5 cm) round cutter.

Roll a ball of fondant for the mouth/nose, shape it into an oval and flatten it with your fingers. Make the nostrils using the small fondant ball tool. Use the bigger end of one of the piping tips to mark the mouth.

Roll two small balls of yellow fondant, flatten them with your finger and pinch them at one end. Use the small fondant ball tool to create a small pocket in the ear.

Roll two tiny balls of brown fondant to make the two pieces between the giraffe’s ears.

Roll out some brown fondant and using the 3 round piping tips make tiny dots in different sizes. You could also make 10-12 tiny balls out of brown fondant and flatten them out with your finger instead of using the piping tips.

For the eyes, make two tiny balls out of black fondant. Or you can use an edible marker to draw them.

Let the giraffe face cupcake toppers dry on a flat surface.

Tutorial with Step by Step Instructions & Photos - How to Make a Fondant Giraffe Cupcake Topper

  • Dark gray, black & white fondant

Knead and roll out the gray fondant to a 1/8 “(1/3 cm) thickness. Cut out round shapes using the 2.5 ” (6.5 cm) round cutter.

Cut out a flower shape per elephant and make the ears as seen below.

Roll a ball of gray fondant and shape the trunk using your fingers. Make small indentations using the blunt knife fondant tool.

Make the two tusks using white fondant.

For the eyes, roll out a bit of white fondant and make tiny circles using the small end of the #8 piping tip. You can shape these with your fingers as well but I find it harder to make them exactly the same in size. Attach two dots of black fondant for the pupils using a bit of water.

Brush some water on the edge of the ears and stick them to the side of the head. Attach the trunk, eyes and tusks using some water as well.

Let the elephant face cupcake toppers dry on a flat surface.

Tutorial with Step by Step Instructions & Photos - How to Make a Fondant Elephant Cupcake Topper

  • Dark brown, light brown & black fondant
  • A piping tip

Knead and roll out the dark brown fondant to a 1/8 “(1/3 cm) thickness. Cut out round shapes using the 2.5 ” (6.5 cm) round cutter. Cut out two small round shapes using the large end of the piping tip for the ears.

Knead and roll out the light brown fondant to a 1/8 “(1/3 cm) thickness. Cut out round shapes using the smaller round cutter.

Roll out two small balls out of light brown fondant and flatten them with your fingers. Attach them to the two small circles using some water to form the ears.

Use the flower cutter to cut out the monkey face from the round shapes made out of light brown fondant as seen below.

Make two tiny balls out of black fondant for the eyes and a slightly bigger ball out of brown fondant for the nose. Make the hair out of dark brown fondant.

Use a small brush and some water to attach all the pieces together as seen below.  Use the bigger end of the piping tip to mark the mouth.

Let the monkey face cupcake toppers dry on a flat surface.

Tutorial with Step by Step Instructions & Photos - How to Make a Fondant Monkey Cupcake Topper

  • Purple, white & black fondant
  • Small fondant veining tool or any tool with a pointy end

Knead and roll out the purple fondant to a 1/8 “(1/3 cm) thickness. Cut out round shapes using the 2.5 ” (6.5 cm) round cutter. Cut out oval shapes for the mouth.

Roll two small balls of purple fondant, flatten them with your finger and pinch them at one end. Use the small fondant ball tool to create a small pocket in the ear.

Cut the teeth out of rolled white fondant using the X-Acto knife. For the eyes, make two tiny balls out of black fondant.

Use the pointy end of the small fondant veining to mark in the cheeks and the small ball tool to make the nostrils.

Let the hippo face cupcake toppers dry on a flat surface.

Tutorial with Step by Step Instructions & Photos - How to Make a Fondant Hippo Cupcake Topper

  • Black edible marker

Knead and roll out the dark brown fondant to a 1/8 “(1/3 cm) thickness. Cut out round shapes using the 2.5 ” (6.5 cm) round cutter. Cut out two small round shapes using the smallest round cutter.

Knead and roll out the light brown fondant to a 1/8 “(1/3 cm) thickness. Cut out round shapes for the mouth using the oval cutter.

Make two tiny balls out of black fondant for the eyes. Also, make a slightly bigger ball and shape it into a triangle or oval with your fingers to form the nose.

Use a small brush and some water to attach all the pieces together as seen below.  Use the black marker to draw the mouth.

Let the bear face cupcake toppers dry on a flat surface.

Tutorial with Step by Step Instructions & Photos - How to Make a Fondant Bear Cupcake Topper

  • The cone fondant tool which has a pointy end or the small fondant veining tool

Knead and roll out the orange fondant to a 1/8 “(1/3 cm) thickness. Cut out flower shapes using the 2.5 ” (6.5 cm) cutter.

Knead and roll out the yellow fondant to the same thickness. Cut out round shapes.

Roll two small balls of yellow fondant into a teardrop shape. Use the end of the paint brush (or a small ball tool) to make an indentation, a bit more at the base of the ear and less towards the tip.

Make two small balls out of white fondant for the moustache. Make two tiny balls out of black fondant for the eyes and a slightly bigger one for the nose.

Use the pointy end of the cone tool to mark the moustache and the end of the paint brush (or a small ball tool) to mark the mouth.

Let the lion face cupcake toppers dry on a flat surface.

Tutorial with Step by Step Instructions & Photos - How to Make a Fondant Lion Cupcake Topper

You might also like…

Monkey & Bananas Cake Topper

Monkey & Bananas Cake Topper

This post contains Amazon.com affiliate links for products I personally use and love. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your costs will be the same but I will receive a small commission which is used for hosting and running this site. I appreciate your support! 

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August 22, 2016 at 11:31 AM

These are all adorable! Question: If I frost my cupcakes, can I just set these fondant animals on top? Or do I need to do something else to make sure they adhere properly? I’m new to fondant, so I wasn’t sure. Thank you!

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March 7, 2017 at 12:55 PM

They should stick to the frosting.

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July 31, 2016 at 10:14 AM

Sooo cute…. question when you add it to the cupcake does it necessarily have to have buttercream or can it be the elite whipped icing?

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June 12, 2015 at 6:47 PM

hi! I want to try making these for a friend’s baby’s 1 year old zoo party.

I’m a total newbie with fondant cupcakes. Are people supposed to eat the cake toppers? Or is it meant to harden completely and just plucked off?

June 14, 2015 at 2:37 PM

You can definitely eat the fondant toppers. They shouldn’t harden as much so that you can’t eat them… actually, if you live in a hot and humid climate the fondant will be softer and not harden as easily. Also, it depends how many days ahead you’re making the toppers. The longer they sit the dryer they get but it takes a good amount of time for them to harden out completely. Personally, I don’t like eating the fondant… it’s mostly made of sugar. But I love decorating with it :). I have friends who really like the fondant though :).

I hope this helps!

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May 31, 2015 at 11:26 PM

Thank you so much for this tutorial! I have a baby shower I am doing cupcakes for in 2 days and I was a little overwhelmed and considering cheating and just printing toppers for the cupcakes. Your tutorial is so simple, yet they look amazing and give me the hope that maybe I can pull this off! Thanks for sharing your talents!!

June 8, 2015 at 12:01 AM

I hope you gave these cupcake toppers a try for the baby shower 🙂 . They take some time to make but the final result is worth the effort 🙂

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March 17, 2015 at 1:42 AM

How much in advance can these cake toppers be prepared and how to store them? Do you also have tutorials on making the actual cake with the fondant and all the details you added to it including the name, number 1 etc.?

March 18, 2015 at 10:08 PM

You can make the cupcake toppers 1 month ahead, let them dry completely and store them in a cardboard box in a dark place. The colors might fade if you leave them in sunlight. Don’t store them in airtight plastic containers or in the fridge as the fondant will become sticky. I’ve stored fondant decorations for several months (even 1 year) and they still looked good so if you need to make them more than 1 month in advance you’re safe to do so :). I’m planning to write the posts for the cake as well but I haven’t had a chance to do so yet.

Hope this helps!

March 20, 2015 at 3:14 PM

Thank you very much Roxy! I would really appreciate if you can post your tutorial on how to make the fondant animals & details for the main cake or direct me to the resources you used to make them. I’m planning on making it for my son’s first birthday on April 2nd. Most of the tutorial I found on youtube don’t look half as cute as yours. Thank you once again!

March 30, 2015 at 11:24 PM

So sorry DK but I’ll most likely not be able to post the tutorial in time for your son’s birthday. Dealing with a sick toddler these days. If it’s helpful at all, the tutorial for the teddy bear cake topper is already posted here – https://roxyskitchen.com/teddy-bear-fondant-cake-topper-tutorial.html

I used a simple leaf cutter to make the leaves for the palm trees. For the name I used these funky cutters – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002INR2OE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002INR2OE&linkCode=as2&tag=roxskit-20&linkId=HZUM6D6YOVOUWKGX

For the wood sign I used an impression mat – http://www.amazon.com/FMM-Tree-Bark-Brick-Impression/dp/B001SSJWG6/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1427772006&sr=1-1&keywords=wood+impression+mat

For the flowers, you can use a small cutter or a plunger & cutter – http://www.amazon.com/Fox-Run-67003-4-Piece-Blossom/dp/B00AZMKCC4/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1427772208&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=flower+plunger+cuttoer

All other fondant figurines are shaped by hand.

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March 10, 2015 at 9:23 AM

How much fondant would you need to make 50 cupcakes?

March 15, 2015 at 10:33 PM

Hi Daniell, You would need about 3. 5 – 4 pounds of fondant. I hope this helps and sorry for the late reply.

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March 8, 2015 at 6:47 PM

i had to make jungle cupcakes and your website with precise instructions came in very handy. Just wanted to thank you for all the insttuctions for newbies like me.. Best wishes Michelle

March 15, 2015 at 10:15 PM

You’re very welcome, Michelle! I’m so glad you found the tutorial useful :).

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September 10, 2014 at 10:46 AM

These are so cute. I never thought I could do something like this on my own, but after reading this I just might be able to.

[…] Safari Animal Toppers are popular right now. See a step-by-step easy tutorial on how to make the different animals here. […]

[…] lactose-free cupcakes for a first birthday. We decided on a jungle theme for these cupcakes, using these as […]

[…] Todos los tutoriales: Roxy’s Kitchen […]

[…] Safari Animal Toppers are popular right now. See a step-by-step easy tutorial on how to make the different ani malshere. […]

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safari cupcake design

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Honestly, though… if you are making these, I would make these Mickey themed safari cupcakes by leaving off the bow or by making a mini safari hat to put in the center of the ears. And if you do that, please, please send me a picture! Let’s get started with these fun cheetah print cupcakes.

RELATED READING: Jungle Cruise Snack Mix

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If you don’t have time to make these now, come back later and check out the entire recipe. Save and pin this to your favorite Disney or dessert board or share in one of your favorite recipe groups on Facebook.

Vertical image of five chocolate cupcakes with coconut frosting and cheetah print Minnie Mouse ears with text which reads Jungle Cruise movie night cupcakes ruffles and rain boots.

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Jungle Cruise Cupcake Idea

Earlier this year, I shared the ‘not so girly’ version of these Jungle Cruise cupcakes for a fun reminder of one of my daughter’s favorite rides at the park. She giggles, jumps, gasps, and screams with delight every time we ride it.

If you haven’t seen it, the movie was absolutely hilarious and has become one of our favorites to watch during family movie nights. These colorful cupcakes are perfect for a movie night because they only require a cake and frosting.

easy recipe for disney jungle cruise cupcakes

Fun Ways To Share These Jungle Minnie Mouse Cupcakes

  • Birthday Party Cupcakes – These would be super cute for a jungle or safari-themed birthday party. I found a ton of sets for the theme on Amazon: this is the one I bought for our party and I combined it with these fun leaf plates for the Jungle Cruise snack mix and a few other treats.
  • Jungle Cruise Movie Night – Cupcakes are the ultimate treat for snuggling up and watching movies at home (and they can be made ahead of time, so that’s awesome). I used the garland and a few balloons left over from the kit I mentioned above for an easy decoration.
  • Drop Off a Sweet Treat – I have these cupcake boxes on hand and combine them with stickers to drop off a treat for my daughter’s friends or when someone can’t make a party.
  • Bring Them as a Class Party or Booster – You would literally blow everyone’s minds if you make these for a bake sale or party! Just a tip: if you’re putting these into a traditional cupcake carrier, turn them perpendicular every other cake so they will fit without touching.

RELATED READING: DONUT MINNIE CUPCAKES

Square close up image of a safari Minnie ear cupcake with a stripe red and white bow in fondant with peanut butter frosting and coconut topped chocolate cupcake in front of a wicker basket.

How to Store Cupcakes to Keep Them Fresh? What About Fondant and Frosting?

The key to keeping these cute Minnie cupcakes moist and delicious is to store them in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature. You don't have to store them in the fridge and can prepare them a day in advance of the party or event.

If you want to pre-bake the cupcakes, they can be stored in the freezer for a couple of months. Thaw them at room temperature. Additionally, you can make the frosting one week in advance or freeze and store for a couple of months. Bring to room temperature and beat with the mixer to fluff.

To make the cheetah spot Minnie or Mickey ears ahead of time, let them dry completely and use high quality edible ink markers. Wrap them in cling wrap and store them in an air tight container out of direct sunlight. Make sure they're not stacked on top of each other. You can make these up to a month ahead of the party.

Safari Minnie Mouse Ear Cupcakes

Square close up image of a safari Minnie ear cupcake with a stripe red and white bow in fondant with peanut butter frosting and coconut topped chocolate cupcake in front of a wicker basket.

These safari Minnie cupcakes are a fun and super cute treat for a Jungle Cruise movie night, bake sale or booster fundraiser, or as a safari party treat.

Ingredients

Fondant bow ingredients:.

  • 1 package of White Fondant
  • 1 Black edible marker 
  • 1 Brown edible marker
  • 1 Cheetah cookie stencil
  • 1 Stripe cookie stencil
  • 1 fondant cutter (round and 2 inches in size)
  • 1 can of red cake spray 
  • 1 can of silver cake spray 

Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients

  • 1 box of chocolate cake mix
  • 1 ¼ cup of milk
  • 1/2 cup of butter, unsalted

Vanilla and peanut butter frosting ingredients

  • 1 cup of soft butter, unsalted
  • 3 cups of powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 3-5 T of heavy whipping cream
  • 3 cups of toasted coconut
  • 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
  • 1 large piping bag with star tip

Instructions

Minnie mouse fondant ears.

  • Add cornstarch to a cutting board and knead the white fondant. It must become soft and workable.
  • Add a bit more cornstarch onto the cutting table if needed and roll out the fondant to 1/4 inch thick.
  • Use the fondant cutter and cut out 40 circles.
  • Put them onto a cookie sheet and leave them to dry.

The Next Day:

  • Use the black edible marker and cheetah stencil set on top of one of the white circle fondant pieces. Trace the cheetah spots and set each disc aside. Repeat with all of the fondant circles.
  • Use the brown marker and trace around the black lines.
  • Spray the top of the circles with silver spray to make them shiny and let them dry for a few hours.

How to Make a Minnie Mouse Bow:

  • Pinch off 1 tablespoon of the white fondant. Press it into the larger bow mold then place it on the cookie sheet to let each dry.
  • After it has dried, put the stripe stencil on the bowl and spray the bow with the red cake spray. Let dry completely.

Six image collage of how to prepare and assemble the safari cupcakes for Jungle Cruise movie night or safari party.

To Make the Cupcakes:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the pan with cupcake liners.
  • Beat milk, butter, eggs, and cake mix together in a large bowl.
  • Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full and put them in the oven to bake for 21 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.

Make Frosting and Assemble Cupcakes:

  • Mix butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and whipping cream with a mixer. It should be smooth and stiff when done.
  • Use an ice cream scooper and scoop the frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes. Use a butter knife to spread out the frosting.
  • Roll the cupcake into the toasted coconut and set aside. Repeat with all cupcakes.
  • Add peanut butter to the rest of the frosting and put that mixture into a piping bag. Add a dollop of it onto the middle of each cupcake.
  • Put the bow in the middle and one ear to the left and right of the bow.

To turn this fun safari ear idea into a full-size cake, make the fondant circles larger and cut 4 of them. Place a skewer on a fondant disc, add water to secure, and layer the other disc on top. Let dry completely before decorating with cheetah spots.

Nutrition Information:

Serving size:.

All nutrition information is estimated. For accuracy, please calculate your exact brands and ingredients if accuracy is desired.

Did you make this yummy recipe?

Please leave a comment or share a photo and tag me @rufflesandrain

More Safari and Jungle Themed Fun You Might Like

  • Jungle Thumbprint Animal Art - Learn how to set up one of the most fun party activities and get the how-to for giraffes, lions, monkeys, tigers, and more.
  • Monkey Puppet DIY for Kids - These are adorable, have a fun tail, and everyone will have so much fun making and playing with them!
  • Elephant Paper Puppets - Using the easiest puppet making technique for little hands, use the steps here to have the kids make their own.

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Sarah Nenni-Daher creator of Ruffles and Rain Boots in black shirt against greenery background.

Meet the Creator

Hi there, I’m Sarah. I’m a crafty gal and always have at least 14 projects going at once. I am a crafter, designer, and pattern maker and share my creations here and over at the Ruffles and Rain Boots® shop . Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots®, you’ll find gnomes to make, crafts, gifts, cupcakes, Cricut projects, and so much more. I love sharing video tutorials over on YouTube and chatting with the community in the Facebook Group .

safari cupcake design

13 Ideas for an Adorable Safari Baby Shower Cake

safari baby shower cake

If you are hosting a baby shower with a safari theme, you may be looking for safari baby shower cake ideas. We have some excellent jungle animal inspiration to help you host the best baby shower for the mom-to-be. Keep reading to learn more!

Table of Contents

Safari Baby Shower Cakes

There are so many fun jungle safari cake options for baby showers! Here are a few of our favorites.

Green Safari Cake

A green cake with a jungle theme is perfect for a safari cake! You can use various shades of green and add greenery and jungle animals.

Neutral Jungle Theme Cake

You could also opt for a neutral jungle theme cake. Use neutral colors for the fondant, and then add leaves and a few safari animals for decor.

Safari Baby Shower Cake Pops

Cake pops are also fun for a safari-themed baby shower! You can match the other party decorations for cake pops if you wish. For example, if your safari theme is primarily greens, make cake pops in shades of green with tiny gold animal cake toppers.

You could also make cake pops with zebra stripes and cheetah print!

safari baby shower cake

Safari Baby Shower Cupcakes

If you prefer cupcakes, there are also cute safari-themed cupcake options!

Jungle Cupcakes

Jungle cupcakes are a yummy, festive idea for a safari baby shower! You can make cupcakes with buttercream frosting and then add cupcake toppers! There are many options for cupcake toppers, such as baby animals.

You could also make jungle cupcakes with jungle animals directly on the cupcakes!

safari baby shower cake

Safari Baby Shower Cake Toppers

Add cake toppers to any of these cake ideas! You can add a themed cake topper to any plain cake to help it fit the safari theme. Here are some text ideas for jungle baby shower cake toppers:

  • It’s A Girl
  • Born To Be Wild
  • Welcome To The Jungle

Safari Baby Shower Cake for a Boy

Here are a few ideas if you are looking for a baby shower cake specifically for a baby boy.

Blue Jungle Cake

A cake with shades of blue and pops of green jungle leaves is perfect for celebrating a new baby boy! Use white frosting and then add shades of blue or blue watercolor. Complete with greenery and jungle safari animals.

Green Cheetah Spots Cake

Cheetah spots on a cake are perfect for a jungle-themed baby shower! Use any base frosting color you would like, and add green cheetah spots with food dye or edible paint.

Safari Baby Shower Cake for a Girl

There are ways to make safari baby shower cakes specifically for a baby girl!

Pastel Jungle Cake

A pink pastel jungle cake is perfect for celebrating a baby girl! For this cake, use white frosting and various shades of pink splashes. You can also add white and gold sprinkles to complete the look. Top with gold safari animals!

Gold Safari Animal Cake

Gold and pink are beautiful colors to celebrate a baby girl! Use gold frosting and add pink for a pop of color on a cake. Add gold leaves and pretty safari animals.

How Do You Make a Madagascar Cake?

A Madagascar cake is perfect for a jungle safari baby shower! T here are many ways that you can make a Madagascar cake. If you want to keep it simple, bake a cake with two layers and frost it with white fondant or frosting.

Order Madagascar figurines , and then top your cake with these figurines! You could add additional greenery, such as palm leaves.

safari baby shower cake

How Do You Make Leopard Print Cakes?

To make a leopard print cake:

  • Start by baking a cake and frosting it.
  • Use gold edible paint or food coloring to paint on the spots.
  • Create a variety of shapes and sizes.
  • Outline the spots with black edible paint or food coloring.
  • Leave some gaps when outlining the spots!
  • Add a few black spots in any empty spaces!

How Do You Make a Zebra Cake?

It’s pretty easy to make a zebra cake! The key is to make two different colors of cake batter – typically white and black. Add a scoop of the white batter to a cake pan and a scoop of the black cake batter. Continue repeating the alternating batter colors until you use all of the batter!

Ensure that your white and black batter do not overlap or touch. Doing so is the key to creating the zebra look.

How Do You Make a Giraffe Cake?

Make a cute DIY giraffe cake with just a little cake decorating! Start by baking a cake. Then frost with yellow fondant.

Then make brown fondant for giraffe spots. You will also need to color fondant for the giraffe eyes. You can add ears and ossicones to the giraffe if you like!

If fondant seems challenging, you could also bake a cake and then top it with a giraffe figurine and other cake toppers!

There are plenty of other ways to to incorporate a safari theme into your baby shower! To help, we’ve put together this great guide for planning a safari theme baby shower !

Macy Westlund is a writer and contributor for Bespoke Baby Shower. Macy is the oldest of five and has a large extended family and has been attending baby showers for as long as she can remember.

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    To Make the Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the pan with cupcake liners. Beat milk, butter, eggs, and cake mix together in a large bowl. Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full and put them in the oven to bake for 21 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.

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