Melbourne Cup is the one day a year when an entire country stops at 3pm for a race that lasts about three minutes. The rest of the day is a long lunch, and the cupcakes you bring are what people will actually remember. The three designs below are all achievable with basic skills. None needs fine piping, and all of them can be finished the night before.

Before you decorate: the cupcake and the icing

Bake the cupcakes the day before and keep them in an airtight container. A plain vanilla or lemon cupcake is the safest choice because it suits every topping. Make a firm buttercream: for 12 cupcakes with a generous swirl, beat 150g softened butter until pale, then add 300g sifted icing sugar and a tablespoon of milk. Early November in Melbourne can be anywhere from 15 to 32 degrees, so a firm buttercream that holds its shape matters more than a soft, fluffy one.

Foil cases look polished without any extra work, and they stop the cupcake sides from drying out overnight. If you have a mixed crowd, use plain paper cases and let the topping do the talking.

Baking Cups Foil Gold 50 Pack

Cake Paper Cups Assorted Color-100 Pack

Design 1: The fascinator

This is the crowd-pleaser. You make a small “hat” from fondant and sit it on a flat-iced cupcake.

  1. Ice the cupcake with a smooth dome of buttercream rather than a swirl. A palette knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry gives a clean finish.
  2. Roll coloured fondant to about 3mm and cut a 5cm circle. This is the brim. Curve it slightly over your finger so it sits like a real hat.
  3. Roll a thin strip of fondant, wrap it around the middle of a small ball for the crown, and fix it to the brim with edible glue.
  4. Add a feather: three or four teardrop shapes in fondant, pressed together at the narrow end and fixed to the side of the crown. A cluster of edible pearls and a short loop of gold rod make a decent brooch.

Gold rods and cachous are fiddly but they are what makes the little hat read as a fascinator instead of a lump of fondant. Press them in with tweezers while the glue is still tacky.

Over The Top Edible Glue 50ml

Sprinks Cachous Pearl Beads Matte White 4mm 65g

Over The Top Bling Metallic Rods Gold 70g

A cupcake with yellow frosting and small gold sprinkles in a white paper case
A simple buttercream swirl with small gold sprinkles. Illustrative stock photograph. Photo: Glen Carrie / Unsplash.

Design 2: The golden horseshoe

A horseshoe is a lucky charm, and it is the easiest shape on this list.

  1. Roll a rope of white or cream fondant about 1cm thick and 9cm long.
  2. Bend it into a U and flatten it slightly with the heel of your hand.
  3. Press a toothpick into the sides to make the nail holes.
  4. Let it dry on baking paper for a few hours so it keeps its shape.
  5. Dust it with bright gold lustre dust mixed with a few drops of clear spirit (vodka or lemon extract) and paint it on with a soft brush. Rest it on a cupcake covered with green icing or green sanding sugar for the track.

Bright gold lustre dust is available from the shop in a 10ml pot, and it is enough for dozens of horseshoes.

Sprinks Bright Gold Lustre Dust 10ml

Sprinks Lime Gel Food Colouring 15ml

Design 3: Racing silks

Every jockey wears silks in the owner’s colours, and a pattern of stripes or diamonds is a good way to use a few leftover bits of fondant.

  1. Choose two contrasting colours, for example navy and gold, or red and white.
  2. Roll each colour to 2mm and cut strips about 8mm wide.
  3. Lay the strips diagonally across a circle of white fondant, alternating colours.
  4. Trim the edges with a round cutter, and put the disc on the cupcake.

This works well if you are making a dozen different cupcakes because each one can be a different “owner”.

Getting them to the party

A cupcake box with a proper insert keeps each one upright, and the decoration stays untouched. The two-cup box is good for gifting a pair to a host. Keep the boxes out of a hot car boot and, if the day is warm, put a cool pack under the box.

Cupcake Box 12 Holes

Cupcake Box 6Pce

Mondo Cupcake Box – 2 Cupcakes

If you are decorating a room as well, a horse or a Spring Carnival balloon column beside the cupcake table fills the corner nicely.

Timeline

  • Two days before: buy ingredients, check you have enough boxes.
  • The day before: bake, make the horseshoes and fascinator hats so they can firm up.
  • The morning of: ice, assemble, box.

FAQ

How many cupcakes per guest? One or two, and they tend to be the last thing eaten after the sandwiches.

Can I use shop-bought cupcakes? Yes. Buy them plain, ice them yourself and add the toppers.

What if it rains? Hold the party inside and keep the cupcakes covered until the race starts.

More party ideas

  • Melbourne Cup Trackside Table Styling at Home
  • Melbourne Cup Office Party: Decor and Sweeps on a Budget

For a horse or carnival-themed balloon arrangement, talk to the shop about your design.

Featured photograph: Glen Carrie / Unsplash. Stock inspiration photographs are not photographs of Good Cents’ own work.