Rice Krispie Cake Topper Tutorial

I’ve always been very intimidated by 3D toppers on top of cakes. They look wobbly and fragile and scare the jeebers out of me! Here’s a secret, though… I always thought they were cake! I’m not trained at all in cake decorating and have never even taken a Wilton class. I just kind of look at a cake and have a go at re-creating it. Since opening a bakery, though, I’ve been trying to take a more professional approach and actually learn how to do things! Shock! Gasp! Seriously, I’m the girl who never opens the directions on games or step-by-steps when putting a piece of furniture together. For me to try and learn the right way to do something is a pretty big step in growing up!!

Buuuut, I’m still stuck with this same old personality. So while I’m trying to figure out the correct way to perform certain cake decorating techniques, I’m not completely following the directions the whole way through. wink, wink!

So I wanted to try my hand at some of these 3D toppers, and the first thing I figured out is that they’re actually Rice Krispie treats and not cake most of the time. The majority of the tutorials I found, had the Rice Krispie treats being covered in royal icing before the fondant was applied. I tried this, and it was a total disaster. I’m not really known for patience and royal icing takes a loooong time to dry. Wasn’t the prettiest thing.

So I started playing around with different items in my kitchen and came up with a method that works perfectly for me! This Rice Krispie Cake Topper Tutorial will change the way you decorate cakes!

Start with your Rice Krispie treat in the shape of whatever figure you’re making. I was making a Tardis for a Dr. Who cake, so I made my Rice Krispie treat in a rectangular shape. Just make sure you pack it really tight when you’re forming your shape. I let mine sit then overnight, so it was nice and firm.

Melt your candy wafers in the microwave and add a little bit of shortening to thin it out. Then use an off-set spatula to spread it on your treat. I put a toothpick in the one end so it was easier for me to handle without getting chocolate all over my hands. Make sure you’re working on a piece of wax or parchment paper to make it to easier to peel off later.

I spread it on pretty liberally. You’re going to take the excess away later, so you want more chocolate on it rather than less.

Once you have it covered, pop it in the fridge until it’s set. I waited about 20 minutes or so. Now comes my favorite tool ever in the kitchen!! The Zester!!!

Take that baby to the sides of your chocolate covered treat and zest away!

Keep on zesting until you have the shape you want! This part is so rewarding for me! I love watching it take shape before my eyes!

Once you have your shape the way you want it, roll your fondant thin and press onto the sides. Since I was making the Tardis, I just rolled one side out at a time knowing that my corner seams would be covered later.

Decorate your piece however you’d like, pop a straw or dowel through the bottom for support and you’re ready to put it on your cake!

This technique works so well for me and I will never go back to messy, wet royal icing!