Toadstool Cupcakes

Easy mini cupcakes with chocolate tops and a fun fairytale finish.

These Mini Toadstool Cupcakes are one of the easiest cupcake designs to recreate at home. The design uses nothing more than a silicone ice cube tray and candy melts. For the best results, check out my How to Work with Candy Melts guide.

With their glossy red caps and white spots, they look just like tiny fairytale mushrooms. They are perfect for parties, themed bakes, or woodland-inspired dessert tables.

The best part is you don’t need any fancy moulds. This entire design is made using a simple ice cube tray, making it beginner friendly while still looking really effective.

If you enjoy fun cupcake designs, you might also like my Hedgehog Cupcakes, Hatched Chicks or Butterfly Cupcakes. They all use simple decorating techniques but create really effective designs.

My Mini Toadstool Cupcake Design

Each cupcake is topped with a smooth chocolate dome to create the classic toadstool shape.

The red caps are made by layering candy melts inside a silicone ice cube tray. Start with the white spots, then finish with a vibrant red coating. Once set, fill the domes with my Basic Buttercream Recipe and press in a mini cupcake base.

For the cupcakes, I used my Chocolate Cupcake Recipe, but any flavour works as the decoration is the star of this design.

If you’d like to match the inside to the outside, colour your buttercream red using my Microwave Method. This helps create deeper colours without affecting the texture.

Why You’ll Love These Mini Toadstool Cupcakes

No fancy mould needed, just an ice cube tray.

A simple method with a really effective finish.

Perfect for fairy and woodland themed bakes.

Perfect for parties and themed dessert tables.

Things I Used

Candy Melts
I used Wilton red and white candy melts for this design as they melt smoothly and set firm without tempering, this helps them release cleanly from the silicone tray.

If you can’t find pre-coloured melts, you can colour white compound chocolate using an oil-based colouring such as Colour Mill. You can read more in my Candy Melts for Beginners Guide.

Silicone Ice Cube Tray
A silicone ice cube tray is used to create the smooth domed toadstool tops. It works just as well as a specialist mould, making this method simple and accessible using something you may already have at home.

Make sure the tray is clean and completely dry before starting, as this helps the chocolate release cleanly once set.

Mini Cupcakes
I used mini chocolate cupcakes for this design, but any flavour works. Make sure they are fully cooled before assembling.

The cupcake is placed upside down into the buttercream-filled dome, creating the base of the toadstool once removed from the mould.

Buttercream
I use my Basic Buttercream as it is stable and easy to work with. It fills the mould and holds the cupcake securely in place.

If you’d like to match the outside, you can colour the buttercream red. I recommend using my Microwave Method to achieve deeper colours without affecting the texture.

Piping Bags
Used for piping the candy melts and buttercream into the mould.

Small Brush or Spoon
A small brush or spoon is used to spread the candy melts inside the tray, helping to coat the sides evenly and create a smooth finish.

Baking Tray
Placing the silicone tray onto a baking tray makes it much easier to move in and out of the fridge or freezer without spilling.