How to Make Nerdy Cupcake Cookies

Written by Mike Tamplin • Jun 30, 2017

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Take your cookie decorating to the next level!

Trace cookie designs with ease with the Akaso mini projector.

Hi, I’m Mike and I’m a procrastinator. (“Hi, Mike.”)

I truly intended for these nerdy cupcake cookies to be ready for Teacher Appreciation week last month. But as Life tends to happen, I couldn’t find the time to fit it in. Also, it didn’t help that the rising summer temps made me less motivated to turn on the oven.

I may have missed the bus for Teacher Appreciation week, but these nerdy cupcake cookies could also work for Back-to-School in a month’s time. You could consider this an early idea for the upcoming occasion. Plus, the nerdy glasses look is always in style. (At least that’s what I tell myself.)

Cupcake and Plaque Cookie Cutters

Added to the shop are two new designs: a cupcake cookie cutter and a new icon plaque cookie cutter.

Cupcake Cookie Cutter

This cupcake cookie cutter was designed to be cute. The whipped topping was shaped in a way for adding a whimsical face while sporting a dollop hairdo. The cupcake cutter used for this tutorial is a LARGE size.

Icon Plaque Cookie Cutter

This icon plaque cookie cutter is perfect for adding a little flair to a message cookie. The top “crown” area provides enough space to add an icon image or decoration, while the remaining sides are have an elegant style to them.

Template for the Nerdy Cupcake Cookies

To help with the decorating process, I made a PDF template available for the cookie designs shown. Included in the file are templates for a nerdy girl and a nerdy boy cupcake. For the boy cupcake version, I made things a little different by flipping the cookie cutout over before baking. This makes his "hair" face the opposite way as the girl's to add some variety.

You can download the nerdy cupcake cookie templates HERE.

If you have a Kopykake or Pico projector, just print it out (or pull it up on your mobile device) and you are good to go. For those without a projector, follow the suggested steps below by tracing the design onto the cookie with an edible food marker.

The Decorating Process

For this tutorial, I'll be decorating the girl version of the cupcake. However, the boy version is practically identical and the same steps below would still apply.

To make these nerdy cupcake cookies, you will need the following suggested colors:

Tan royal icing. (I mixed Americolor Gold with a touch of Warm Brown.)
Darker Tan flood icing. (I mixed a slightly more concentrated tan above.)
Teal piping and flood icing. (I used Americolor Teal.)
Pink piping and flood icing. (I used Wilton Pink.)
Red medium icing (I used Americolor Super Red.)
Black icing (I used Americolor Super Black.)

Step 1

For those without a projector, begin by making a guideline for where the center cupcake band should be. I made a template with template plastic from the PDF file above and used a food marker to draw the guideline on the cookie.

Step 2

Begin by outlining and filling the middle cupcake band with tan icing. Then quickly add a few accent dots with the darker tan flood icing. Let this icing set for about 15 minutes.

Next, outline and fill the top area with pink icing. Do the same for the bottom area with teal icing. (Note: With there being so many color options for cupcakes, feel free you choose any other colors as you wish.)

Let the icing dry completely before moving on (about 2 hours).

Step 3

Once the base layer had time to dry, add a cherry with red icing. Also, outline and add lines to the cupcake liner for more dimension.

Lastly, add the finishing touches by outlining the pink frosting, adding the cherry stem, and adding the face.

Video Tutorial

The steps above are summarized in this time-lapsed video below.

The shape of these nerdy cupcake cookies is pretty universal, making it easy to change it from a girl to a boy. Just switching out the eyeglass frames and the adding/removing eyelashes transforms the cupcake to a totally different person.

I could also possibly see these cupcakes decorated as Halloween monsters, like a vampire or a mummy, when the time comes later in the year.

To accompany the nerdy cupcake cookies, I added a new plaque cutter design: the icon plaque. I placed a tiny cupcake icon to tie the two cookie designs together.

It's a fun way of adding an end-of-school-year or start-of-summer message as a thank you gift for your kid's favorite teacher.