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    Home » Recipes » Kid's Treats

    Adorable Owl Cupcakes: A Hoot-worthy Treat for Any Occasion

    Modified: Jul 20, '24 · Published: Sep 14, '18 · By: Beth Klosterboer · Commission earned on paid or sponsored links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Who says desserts can't be a hoot? Get ready to ruffle some feathers with these utterly adorable Owl Cupcakes! These whimsical treats combine the deliciousness of vanilla cupcakes with the artistic flair of handcrafted modeling chocolate owls.

    vanilla cupcakes topped with a swirl of whipped icing and decorated with pink and teal colored modeling chocolate owls each with a sign that says, Owl be thinking of you!"

    Whether you're planning a woodland-themed party, a baby shower, or just want to bring a smile to someone's face, these Owl Cupcakes are guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.

    So, let's spread our wings and dive into this fun and tasty project!

    blue, pink, teal, peach, and lilac colored modeling chocolate owls lined up in three rows

    How to make Modeling Chocolate Owl Cupcake Toppers

    • Start by making 2-ingredient modeling chocolate. You can find the recipe on my Chocolate Making tips page.

    What is modeling chocolate?

    • Modeling chocolate is similar to fondant only it's made using chocolate and corn syrup so it has a nicer flavor than fondant because it tastes like chocolate.
      • Modeling chocolate can be made using pure dark, milk, and white chocolate which all contain cocoa butter.
      • It can also be made using confectionery coating which is made using a vegetable oil in place of the cocoa butter. This modeling chocolate is more often called Candy Clay being it's not officially made using pure chocolate.
        • Candy Melts come in a variety of colors so you can easily make colored candy clay.
          • I used pink, turquoise, light blue, orange, and purple to make these candy clay owls. I added some white candy clay to each in order to soften the colors a bit.
    pink candy clay owl perched on top of a vanilla cupcake with whipped white frosting

    Crafting Your Modeling Chocolate Owls

    • Use white modeling chocolate and color it using food coloring to make your colored modeling chocolate.
    • Or use colored Candy Melts to make colorful candy clay. See details on coloring modeling chocolate, here.

    Where can I learn more about making modeling chocolate or candy clay?

    • I wrote a book filled with detailed information about making and working with candy clay.
      • Candy Clay Creations is available on Amazon in print and Kindle formats.

    The ultimate guide to making and decorating with candy clay. This 118 page ebook is filled with tips, tricks, and tutorials.

    Watch this video to see how to cut and craft these cute candy clay owls...

    The video was sponsored by Give Bakery Because.

     

    You can find the tools needed to make these Owl Cupcake Toppers on Amazon (commission earned for sales).

    Ateco Plain Edge Round Cutt...Shop on Amazon4-pieces Plastic Round Cook...Shop on Amazon17 PCS Fondant Cake Cookie ...Shop on AmazonVerdental 4-pieces DIY Cake...Shop on AmazonWilton 3D Figure Modeling F...Shop on AmazonCandy Clay Creations: How t...Shop on AmazonWilton Bright Pink Candy Me...Shop on AmazonWilton Blue Candy Melts® C...Shop on AmazonWilton Lavender Candy Melts...Shop on AmazonWilton Turquoise Candy Melt...Shop on AmazonWilton Orange Candy Melts, ...Shop on AmazonWilton Black Vanilla Candy ...Shop on AmazonWilton Easy Flex Silicone 1...Shop on AmazonWilton Fondant 9 Inch Rolli...Shop on Amazon

    How to cut the pieces of each candy clay owl:

    Step 1 - how to make modeling chocolate owls. Cut round body, then cut out notch for ear tufts.
    • Owl Body:

      • Roll out some brightly colored candy clay to about ⅛th of an inch thickness on a non-stick silicone mat using a fondant rolling pin. (If you don't have a silicone mat, then you will need to lightly dust a cutting board with powdered sugar or corn starch so that the modeling chocolate does not stick.)
        • Cut one circle using a 1 ½-inch round cookie cutter.
        • Use the same round cutter to cut about a ¼-inch notch to create the two pointed ears.
        • Repeat creating as many owls as you need.
    Step 2 - how to make modeling chocolate owls. Cut circles out of white modeling chocolate and black modeling chocolate then attach them together to create two eyes.
    • Eyes:

      • Roll out white and black modeling chocolate to about 1/16th inch thickness.
        • Cut two ⅝ inch white circles and two ⅜ inch black circles using round plunger cutters.
        • Lightly brush water on one side of a black circle and press it onto a white circle. Repeat.
        • Attach two eyes to each owl's body using water.
    Step 3 - how to make modeling chocolate owls Cut the beak using a sharp knife and two flower shaped feet using a plunger cutter from orange modeling chocolate.
    • Beak and Feet:

      • Roll out orange candy clay to about 1/16th inch thickness.
      • Cut out tiny triangle beaks using a sharp knife. Attach to the owl's body just below the eyes.
      • Cut out small flower-shaped feet using a small flower plunger cutter.
        • Use water to attach the two feet on the back side of the owl's body opposite the eyes.
    Step 4- how to make modeling chocolate owls Cut the wings using a small leaf shaped plunger cutter then attach them to the owl's body using water.
    • Wings:

      • Use a small leaf-shaped plunger cutter to cut out two wings from colored candy clay.
        • Attach on either side of the owl's body using water.
    Step 5 - how to make modeling chocolate owls Use a fondant sculpting tool to create two rows of feathers on the owl's body.
    • Feathers:

      • Use a fondant sculpting tool to add the look of feathers to your modeling chocolate owls.
        • The tool has a curved end so you can easily just press it into the modeling chocolate to make half-moon-shaped indentations.
        • Press it in three times in one row then two times below the first row in a second row.

    NOTE: You can hand cut all of these shapes if you don't have the tools needed, but having the tools will make it much easier.

    Five owl cupcakes with tags that say, "Owl Be Thinking Of You!" in a row on a gray wood grain background

    Assembling Your Owl Cupcakes

    • Pipe a big swirl of frosting on top of a cupcake.
    • Press the modeling chocolate owl onto the front of the frosting.

    Creative Variations

    Teal green modeling chocolate owl on top of a sugar cookie packaged in a clear cellophane bag topped with a tag that says, "Owl be thinking of you!"

    Owl Cookies

    You can craft these sweet owls using 2-ingredient modeling chocolate (candy clay) and use them to top cupcakes but they also look super cute on cookies too. Add a tag that says, "OWL be thinking of you!" and you turn these little desserts into fun gifts to give to friends and family.

    Recipe

    5 from 6 votes
    vanilla cupcakes topped with a swirl of whipped icing and decorated with pink and teal colored modeling chocolate owls each with a sign that says, Owl be thinking of you!"
    Print
    Owl Cupcakes with Modeling Chocolate Toppers
    Prep Time
    1 hr
    Total Time
    1 hr
     

    Brightly colored modeling chocolate is cut and decorated to look like adorably cute owls which can be used to top cupcakes or even cookies. 

    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: owl cupcake toppers, owl cupcakes
    Servings: 12
    Author: Beth Klosterboer
    Ingredients
    • 4 ounces brightly colored modeling chocolate (pink, blue, purple, turqouise, and peach)
    • 1 ounce white modeling chocolate
    • ½ ounce black modeling chocolate
    • ½ ounce orange modeling chocolate
    • 12 baked and frosted cupcakes
    Instructions
    1. Roll some brightly colored modeling chocolate out on a silicone mat or a cutting board that has been lightly dusted with powdered sugar to about ⅛th inch thickness.


    2. Cut out twelve 1 ½ inch circles using a round cookie cutter for the owl's body.

    3. Cut a small notch out of the circle using the same round cookie cutter creating the two ear tufts. 

    4. Use a small leaf plunger cutter to cut out two wings from the same color modeling chocolate. 

    5. Roll out some white, black, and orange modeling chocolate to about 1/16th of an inch thickness. 

    6. Cut out twenty four ⅝ inch white circles and ⅜ inch black circles for the eyes. 

    7. Lightly brush some water on one side of the black circles and attach them to the white circles. 

    8. Attach the eyes to the owl's body using water. 

    9. Cut out 12 little triangle shaped beaks and 24 little flower shaped feet from the orange modeling chocolate. 

    10. Attach a beak just below the eyes.

    11. Press the flower shaped feet onto the backside of the owls' body so that only 3 of the flower petals show below the owl's body from the front side. 

    12. Use water to attach wings on either side of the body.

    13. Use a curved fondant sculpting tool to create two rows of feathers on the owl's belly.

    14. Repeat creating at total of 12 owls.

    15. Press the modeling chocolate owls onto a frosted cupcake. 

    Recipe Notes

    You can also decorate cookies using these modeling chocolate owls. Just attach them to the cookie using  frosting, peanut butter, chocolate spread, or cookie butter. 

    If you love owls you might also like to make these...
    Chocolate Pretzel Owls with Valentine's Day Bag Toppers
    Owl Pretzels
    five black olive owls with orange cheese eyes and feet and carrot beaks on striped paper straws
    Olive Owls
    cheese slices assembled to look like an owl with black olive eyes served with crackers
    Cheese Slice Owl

    If you love decorating cupcakes you might also want to check out these other tutorials.

    collage of images featuring modeling chocolate cupcake decorations and cupcake toppers including snowmen, monsters, carrots, bunnies, and more
    Snowman Cupcakes with Modeling Chocolate Cupcake Wrappers •  Carrot Top Cupcakes
    Bunny Butt Cupcake Toppers • Monster Cupcakes
    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Beth Klosterboer
    Beth Klosterboer
    Hi, I'm Beth Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com
    Beth Klosterboer
    Latest posts by Beth Klosterboer (see all)
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    More adorable treats your kids will love

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Cindy hopper says

      September 22, 2018 at 11:36 am

      These owls and tags are so fun!

      Reply
      • Beth says

        September 22, 2018 at 5:34 pm

        Thanks Cindy. I'm glad you like them.

        Reply
    2. temple run 3 says

      September 20, 2018 at 5:28 am

      Your way is creative and unique, thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Beth says

        September 20, 2018 at 4:01 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    3. Emily says

      September 18, 2018 at 4:30 pm

      those tags are so cute! thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
    4. The Partiologist says

      September 18, 2018 at 9:28 am

      Owl always love all your owl treats!!

      Reply
      • Beth says

        September 18, 2018 at 12:59 pm

        Your too cute!!!

        Reply
    5. April says

      September 17, 2018 at 11:17 am

      These are so adorable! I wish I was as creative as you! <3

      Reply
      • Beth says

        September 18, 2018 at 2:15 pm

        Awe, thanks April!

        Reply
    6. Rachael Yerkes says

      September 14, 2018 at 4:43 pm

      So many fun ideas, and legit the cutest little owls. I want to make cupcakes now just so I can use them!

      Reply
      • Beth says

        September 14, 2018 at 11:04 pm

        Thanks! I do hope you give decorating these little owls a try.

        Reply
    7. Becky Mansfield says

      September 14, 2018 at 3:35 pm

      You have the most adorable ideas!!!!

      Reply
      • Beth says

        September 14, 2018 at 4:21 pm

        Thanks, Becky!

        Reply
    Beth Jackson Klosterboer

    Welcome to Hungry Happenings!

    I'm Beth. I've been a professional chocolatier & baker for over 30 years, have written 5 cookbooks, and love creating fun food for holidays and special occasions.

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