Woof! Adorable, isn’t he? He’s modelled on my bestest buddy in the world, Monty, who has been in our family for 10 years. Excitedly, I got my Cupcake Day for the RSPCA fundraiser kit in the post a few weeks ago. The aim is to bake up a storm and exchange sweet goods for donations to Australia’s premier animal rights organisation.
Shortly after I got a call to say my bestest buddy passed away. I never imagined how devastated I would feel when I got that news, but it broke my heart. It’s all the little things that get to me:
I’ll never have my buddy sneak into my room and jump on the bed for morning snuggles again. He’ll never follow me around like a shadow trying to get me to take him for a walk.
He’ll never look up with those sad, pleading eyes trying to score some cheese or chicken from our dinner plates. 
He’ll never sneak up onto Dad’s favourite chair and curl up to watch TV.
He’ll never race around the house playing chasey. We’ll never hear the squeaks as he chews on his favourite teddy bear toy, or barks for a midnight snack.
His food bowls will sit empty; his lead dangles uselessly on the back door. His box of toys lie waiting to be played with and his basket lies empty waiting for his to curl up to sleep. And his family waits for him to come running wagging his tail to greet us at the front door, but he’ll never be there again.
I’ve modelled my offering for the RSPCA cupcake day on my buddy. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make a puppy cupcake topper out of fondant. If you feel like making a donation of any amount to the RSPCA, there is a fundraising box on the side, or you can follow this link to my fundraiser page on the RSPCA’s website. Donation are tax deductible in Australia.
Thank you.
How To Make A Cupcake Topper: Puppy
YOU WILL NEED
White Fondant
Black Food Colouring Paste
Pink Food COlouring Paste
Black Writing Gel
Black Edible Ink
Pizza Wheel
Small Rolling Pin
Small heart-shaped cookie cutter
Frilling Tool, or a matchstick
Flat spatula knife
Patience!
DIRECTIONS
1. Tint a 2.5cm small ball of fondant grey using a daub of black food colouring. Roll into a sphere, then elongate it into a fat teardrop shape to make the head. Indent two eye sockets using either a frilling tool or the end of a matchstick.
2. Roll a 3.25cm ball of white fondant into a sphere. Elongate to a fat teardrop shape around 4cm long to make the body.
3. Make two 2.5cm long front legs out of white fondant, shaping two paws at the bottom. Use the frilling tool or flat edge of spatula knife to mark the toes at the bottom. Try to taper the legs towards the top so they sit flatter against the body. Roll a 2.5cm long tapered sausage for the tail.
4. Roll two pea-sized balls of white fondant to make the paws sticking out the side. Indent toes.
5. Check how the body parts will fit together on the body, smoothing and flattening joins as needed. Glue all the parts together using a daub of water. To give the chest and tail texture like hair, mark the fondant with the frilling tool.
6. Roll a very thin sheet of white fondant approximately 1cm wide and 3cm long. Attach the snout just underneath the eye sockets using a daub of water, wrapping it around the head and smoothing under the chin. Indent the mouth.
7. Roll a little ball of black fondant for the nose and glue to the muzzle. Roll a thin 2cm disc of black fondant and cut with the heart-shaped cutter. Slice the heart down the middle to make two ears. Add a fluffy texture with a frilling tool if you like, then glue the ears to the side of the head with water. Curl them slightly so they still out.
8. Use the edible ink to paint the mouth and whiskers. Carefully pipe black gel into the eye sockets to make them shiny and 3D. Tint a pinch of white fondant pink and shape into a tongue. Glue into the mouth socket.
9. To attach the cupcake topper to the cupcake, insert a bamboo skewer into the cake, leaving 1-2cm exposed at the top. Push the fondant over the exposed skewer to attach. And remember to tell your friends to remove the stick before eating!
Inspired by “Puppy With a Toilet Roll” design published in Planet Cake Cupcakes by Paris Cutler
