Learn to Make a Delicious Cupcake in Photoshop

In this tutorial, we will learn how to make a delicious cupcake in Photoshop.

Tutorial Details

Program: Photoshop CS5

Estimated Completion Time: 30-40 Minutes

Tutorial Assets

The following assets were used in the creation of this tutorial.

* Grungy Polka Dots Textures

Step 1

Create a new document with 800px width and 800px height in Photoshop.

Step 2

First of all, we’ll create the cup for our cake. Create a new layer by going to Layer > New layer. Set # e49836 as your foreground color. Now select the ‘pen tool’, click on ‘shape layers’ icon from top options bar. Draw the shape as shown below.

Now go to Layer > Layer style > Blending options. Use the given settings here.

Step 3

Now duplicate this shape by clicking on the square at the top right corner of layers panel and select the option of ‘Duplicate layer’. Drag this copy to the left side of original shape and rotate it a bit using ‘Free transform tool (Ctrl+ T)’. Once you are done, duplicate this copy and go to Edit > Transform > Flip horizontal. Now Place this copy to the right of original shape. Keep on duplicating and aligning these shapes till you get something as displayed below.

For making stripes at the sides, you need to reduce size of the shape a bit using ‘Free transform tool’. Keep on arranging them in the same way. For stripes at the backside you just need to change their angle.

Step 4

Next, in order to give this cup a proper shape, draw the shape as shown below in any color using ‘pen tool’.

After that, select all the front strip layers forming the cup by pressing ‘Shift’ key and go to Layer > Merge layers. Now press Ctrl+ Click on this new shape layer to make selection around it. Then click on the merged layer and go to Select > Inverse. After that, go to Edit > Clear.

Step 5

Set # a54f00 as your foreground color and draw an ellipse using ‘Ellipse tool’. Place this layer above the backside strip layers and below the front cup layer.

Now go to Layer > Layer style > Inner glow. Use the given settings.

Step 6

Next, we’ll make yummy cream at the top. For that, you need to create different shapes on separate layers using ‘Pen tool’ as below. We’ll be using 3 main colors for this.

Now go to Layer > Layer style > Blending options. Apply the given settings on each shape layer forming the cream. Simply, right click on one of the shape layer after applying the settings and select the option of ‘copy layer style’. Then right click on rest of the shape layers and select ‘paste layer style’ option to apply the same effect on them.

Step 7

Next, we’ll add sprinkles to the cup. Select ‘Brush tool’ and apply the given settings in the brush panel.

Now simply apply the brush on a new layer over the cream. Once you are done, go to Layer > Layer style > Drop shadow. Apply the given settings on sprinkles layer. Use the same settings for the front cup layer to create its shadow.

Step 8

Open the yellow colored Polka dots texture and paste it just above the background layer. Then go to Layer > Layer style > Color overlay. Use the given settings to turn it blue.

Step 9

Now select the ‘polygon tool’, use the given settings to draw a shape as shown below. We’ll be using # ffd200 color here.

After that, draw two rectangles at the sides of this shape using ‘rectangle tool’.

Step 10

Once again, paste the texture file just above one of the rectangle layers. Then press Ctrl+ click on the rectangle layer and then press on the icon of ‘Add layer mask’ which is present at the bottom of the layers panel. Repeat the same technique to apply texture to the other shape layers. Change the blending mode of texture layers to ‘Overlay’.