As we get ready to celebrate Memorial Day, barbeque and the beach are usually at the top of the list.  These beach cupcakes are a perfect addition to your next virtual pool or virtual birthday party.  They are so adorable and easy to make. Use them as a fun project to make with the kids.

While many of us (including myself) will not be going to the beach this year; it doesn’t mean we can’t create our own sweet beach oasis at home.  Growing up on the Islands I am used to nice beautiful sandy beaches with amazing waves.  These beach cupcakes definitely take me back a bit.

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Materials for the Beach Cupcakes

To make these beach cupcakes you are going to need:

• Three (3) Cupcakes with a light frosting.  Use this delicious vanilla cupcake recipe and any buttercream recipe found here.
• Edible sand such graham crackers or light brown sugar.  I had neither so I made my own sand using granulated sugar (see below).
• Blue sanding sugar
• Yellow fondant
• Green fondant
• Red fondant
• White fondant
• Small circle cutter
• Small rolling pin
• Xacto knife
• Dresden tool
• Wilton sea mold
• Wilton pearl dust
• Small brush

How to Make Beach cupcake

Edible Sand

There are a few ways to create edible sand: crumbled graham crackers or light brown sugar.  However, if you don’t have any of the above, the third option is to add a touch of Ivory gel paste color to granulated sugar and voila edible sand.  Remember a little bit goes a long way.  Gel paste has a tendency to clump up, so mix very well. 

Once you are finished place the sand to the side to prepare the other decorations.

How to Make Fondant Flip Flops

The fondant flip flops are the cutest part of this project.  There are simple and super easy to make.  After the first pair, it gets much easier.  The key is to try not to thin out the fondant too much.  Add as many colors or designs as you wish.

• Knead some yellow fondant and roll out about a 1/8 inch thick.
• Cut out six circles using the small circle cutter.
• Then use the rolling pin to thin out the back a bit.  Don’t roll it out too much.

• Use your fingers to squeeze it a bit to shape it.
• Roll out green fondant and cut small strips.  I eyeballed mine but if you want to be perfect use a strip cutter.
• Cut the strips in equal sizes, then pinch the two ends together.
• Add a touch of water to the yellow fondant, then add the green fondant strips.  Use the tip of the Dresden tool and add the green fondant gently push it in to make it look like the straps are inside the yellow fondant.
• Squeeze the side of the fondant flip flop to make the right and the left side.

How to Make the Fondant Starfish

To make the starfish roll out some red fondant and add a little piece at a time to the silicone mold. 

Press down to smooth out and remove all the excess fondant.

Turn the silicone mold to the side to gently remove the mold. Place to the side and get ready to make the clamshells.

How to Make the Fondant Clamshell

The clamshells are easiest of all the decorations to make. To make the fondant clamshell, roll out some white fondant to about a 1/8 inch and cut out three circles using the small circle cutter. Pinch the top of the circle and use the Dresden tool to add lines starting from the top.  I like to start from the center, then work my way down.  Brush with some edible pearl dust and set to the side.

Putting it all Together

Dip each cupcake into the edible sand, making sure all the sides are covered.   Then add the clamshell, starfish, and the flip flops. Make sure the decorations are secured to the cupcakes.

Variation to the Beach Cupcake

You may make all your beach cupcakes the same or you may add some blue sanding sugar as a slight variation.  By adding the blue sanding sugar it matches the red, blue, and white and looks like the starfish is partially in the ocean and on the sand.

To make this, add blue sanding sugar to half of the cupcake and the regular sand to the opposite side.  Then add each decoration, this time place the starfish overlapping the blue section and little bit in the regular sand.  Then add the flip flops and clamshell on the regular sand. If you have mini umbrellas on hand, use them to create some shade.  I didn’t have any and wanted to keep it simple so I opted not to create fondant umbrellas. 

If you would like the fondant umbrella tutorial let me know in the comments below.

That’s it, easy beach cupcakes.  Don’t forget to share the love, pin for later.

As always until next time happy caking.