How Do I Put a Topper on My Cake?

Glitter toppers 

Our Glitter toppers come attached to two thin wooden picks. To fit yours:

• Decide where you want the topper positioned, usually centred or slightly off to one side works nicely
• Push the picks straight down into the sponge, angling them very slightly so the topper leans back a touch (this stops it looking like it's about to topple forward)
• Push until the picks are secure and the topper feels steady when you give it a gentle wobble test

If your cake has a particularly firm crumb or crust, it can help to make two small starter holes with a skewer first, then slide the picks in. This stops the picks bending or snapping, especially on drier sponges like a Victoria sponge.

Icing Sponge toppers

Icing toppers are edible and thin, so they behave a little differently. The best approach is:

• Add them as close to serving time as possible, they're a bit like a printed page and can start to soften or curl if left sitting on buttercream or ganache for too long
• Lay them gently onto the surface, no need to push down hard, just enough contact for them to sit flat
• If you're topping a drip cake, place the topper just above the drip line rather than directly in it, so the moisture doesn't cause it to lift or bleed at the edges
• Add a piped or decorative border with your cake decorations of choice! 

Wafer Cupcake toppers

For cupcake toppers, simply insert the wafer topper vertically into the centre of the cupcake. If your buttercream swirl is particularly tall, you may want to press the topper in at a slight angle so the topper sits above the peak rather than getting lost inside it.

A few extra tips

Add it last. Toppers (especially wafer and glitter ones) look their best when they go on right before the cake is presented or served, rather than sitting on the cake for hours beforehand.

Keep it away from direct heat or moisture if you're not serving straight away, condensation from fridges can sometimes cause colours to run on wafer toppers.

Don't worry about getting it perfectly centred. A slightly off-kilter topper often looks more natural and celebratory than one measured to the millimetre; it's meant to feel like a lovely finishing touch, not an engineering project.

However you're celebrating, we hope your topper goes on beautifully. And if you're still deciding which one to add to your cake, you can browse our full range of personalised icing, wafer, glitter, and cupcake toppers, all vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free, right here.