gemstone cupcakes

welcome to the curio shop! hope you find what you’re lookin for.

i’m pretty sure everyone who reads my blog is over the age of 50 and doesn’t get webkinz references, so in a nutshell: webkinz are stuffed animals that come tagged with a code. once you enter the code into the webkinz website, you’re free to name the animal and dress it up and feed it and furnish its house (online).

you can also go gem mining at the ‘curio shop.’ a dog named arte greets you (with the above message) then offers a trip to one of five mines. the goal is to ultimately attain enough gems to fill the legendary webkinz crown of wonder. i’m still working on it.

these cupcakes are topped with sugary replicas of an agate slice, green tourmaline, garnet, topaz, and a geode. in webkinz world, they’d probably be called yum zum sparkle and booger nugget and goober glitter. regardless of the name, they’re so fun to make!! the sugar work looks impressive and is surprisingly easy. throw your kid a nature-themed birthday party at a cool museum and make these cupcakes to go along with it.

p.s., this post is dedicated to my uncle karl marlowe!! the amazing geologist! you ROCK! haha

i used this recipe for dark chocolate cake, baked in cupcake liners, and the vanilla frosting recipe on the same post.

thank you to alana jones mann for her amazing tutorial on these! look at it if you get confused reading mine!

agate slice

• white fondant or a few oval shaped sugar cookies
• 1 egg white
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• gel food coloring
• white sanding sugar

green tourmaline, garnet, and topaz

• 3 cups sugar
• 6 tbsp corn syrup
• green and red gel food coloring

geode

• white fondant
• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• black and brightly colored food coloring
• gold sanding sugar

for the agate slice, beat the egg white until stiff peaks form (but not dry). add the powdered sugar and lemon juice and beat for another minute. the icing should be white and glossy. dye half of it one color, and leave the other half white. put each color into its own ziplock bag. roll a ball of fondant out into a small oval (or grab a sugar cookie, if you’re doing that). using a toothpick, dab some of the same food coloring you used to dye the icing into the middle of the oval. snip a tiny corner off each of the bags. pipe concentric circles around the food coloring dot, dabbing on a circle of food coloring every so often. roll the top of a frosted cupcake in sanding sugar, then place on the agate slice.

for the gemstones, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. combine 1 cup of sugar and 2 tbsp of corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. stir constantly until the sugar begins to dissolve, about 10 minutes (you’ll be able to tell). stop stirring and let it cook until light amber and bubbling. add green food coloring and stir vigorously, then pour onto the baking sheet. make sure to work quickly; the mixture will set almost immediately. repeat with the red food coloring. for the topaz, leave the mixture undyed. once set, break off some large pieces to use as crystals, and break up the rest in a food processor or in a bag with a hammer. roll the top of a frosted cupcake in the broken bits, then top with the crystals. to get clean, square edges on the green tourmaline, score the hardened slab before breaking it.

*this is a very helpful video to watch* for the geode, marble some white fondant with the black food coloring. you’re aiming for a rocky gray color with some streaks of black. roll out a ball of it into a circle. roll out a separate circle of white fondant, then adhere the white to the gray with a little water. roll the two pieces together, taking care not to make them too thin. repeat twice more. line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. place three ramekins or small bowls on the sheet and line them with foil (this is the mold for your geode). try to make the molds deep and not too wide. spray them lightly with pam, then lay your layered circles into the molds, pressing them lightly against the foil and letting them hang over the edges of the ramekin. set aside. in a saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium heat. cook, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is clear. stir in your desired color of food coloring, then let the solution cool for a few minutes. pour into the fondant molds, filling them up to the top. using the foil on the baking sheet, wrap and cover the geodes. let set for 24 HOURS!!!!! i only left mine for 16, and the crystals didn’t develop nearly as much as i wanted them to. after 24 hours, remove the fondant from the ramekins. lightly break the top of the filling and pour the excess liquid out. the inside should be lined with crystals. turn them upside down and let dry for a few minutes (putting them into the refrigerator helps), then cut down to size (see picture for reference). roll the top of a frosted cupcake in gold sanding sugar, then top with a geode.