Easy Cupcakes

These cute Santa cupcakes are quick to make and would make a great kids’ activity for the holidays. Just set up a “cupcake station” with marshmallows, M&Ms, red hots and coconut and let them have at it!

What You Need: 1 cupcake (baked and cooled); white or off-white frosting; red food coloring; coconut flakes; brown M&Ms; cinnamon imperials (red hots); miniature marshmallows.
Make That Cupcake!: Be sure to reserve some frosting to tint red using paste or liquid food coloring. Frost lower 2/3 of cupcake top white and top 1/3 red. Add a row of marshmallows where the two colors meet to make the brim of his Santa cap. Stick one marshmallow near the back for the tip of his cap. Sprinkle on coconut beard. Add brown M&M eyes and red hot nose. Ho, ho–you’re done!

This Jack o’ lantern cupcake comes with his own handle! But don’t try to pick him up; it’s just licorice.

What You Need: 1 cupcake (baked and cooled); white or off-white frosting; orange food coloring (paste or mix red and yellow liquid food coloring); 2 candy corns; 1 orange M&M; candy orange slice; length of black licorice.
Make That Cupcake!: Tint icing orange and frost cupcake. Add candy corn eyes, M&M nose and candy orange mouth. Poke ends of licorice string into cupcake for “handle.”

Celebrate spring or a ladybug themed birthday party with these quick and easy ladybug cupcakes. They’re especially easy for kids to decorate.

What You Need: 1 cupcake (baked and cooled); white or off-white frosting; red food coloring (paste food coloring makes a more-vivid red than liquid; try “No-Taste Red,” as regular red coloring is one that adds a distinct taste); chocolate chips; large black gumdrop; black licorice string (or just use black writing icing); red writing icing or gel.
Make That Cupcake!: Tint icing red and frost cupcake. Using writing icing, add two red dots to gumdrop for eyes. Place gumdrop on cupcake for head. Place black licorice string or pipe writing icing along center of cupcake to divide the “wings” and finish off with plenty of chocolate chips!

Plenty of candy corn and a bit of fruit roll for a waddle are the secret to these quick turkey cupcakes, which would be really fun for kids to make.

What You Need: 1 cupcake (baked and cooled); white or off-white frosting; green paste or liquid food coloring; candy corn; wafer cookie (such as Nilla Wafers); red fruit roll; blue candy dots or mini M&Ms.
How to Make It: Tint icing green and frost cupcake. Immediately (before the icing sets) put a wafer cookie in the center. Add 5 or 6 candy corns, alternating, above the cookie to form turkey feathers. Cut (or bite–shh!) the yellow ends off 2 candy corns and place below cookie, pointing down, for legs. Cut fruit roll (We used Fruit by the Foot) into a waddle shape and stick to cookie. Use dabs of icing to add blue candy or M&M eyes.

These snowy owls would work just as well for a Halloween party as a Harry Potter party. They’re a real “hoot”–ugh, sorry!

What You Need: 1 cupcake (baked and cooled); white frosting; coconut flakes; two red Lifesavers candies; small green “dot” candies (the kind sold on a paper strip) or similar candy; Junior Mint candy.
How to Make It: Frost cupcake and immediately sprinkle with coconut. Using butter knife, make small slit a little below the center of cupcake and insert Junior Mint, sideways, for beak. Add two red Lifesavers for eyes and put small green candies in the center. (Tip: You might want to wait until just before serving to put the eyes on, as the red might “bleed” onto the white background.)

These long-legged spider cookies are quick to make and fun to eat, thanks to a chocolate sandwich cookie perched on top.

What You Need: 1 cupcake, baked and cooled; white or off-white icing; orange paste or red and yellow liquid food coloring; chocolate sandwich cookie (such as Oreo; we used Joe Joe’s from Trader Joe’s); black licorice whips; cinnamon imperials (red hots).
How to Make It: Tint icing orange and frost cupcake orange. Cut licorice into eight equal lengths and press four into each side of the cookie. Use dab of icing to attach red hot eyes to cookie. Place cookie on cupcake. Couldn’t be easier!

These cupcakes have the best of both worlds: cake and ice cream cones. Use your imagination on the scarecrow’s face as well as the cone “hat.” Shredded wheat cereal is the hay!

What You Need: 1 cupcake, baked and cooled; cream-colored icing; ice cream cone (“cake” style, with or without chocolate dip); red fruit roll; shredded wheat cereal; candy corn; red and blue M&Ms; red writing icing or gel.
How to Make It: Frost cupcake and immediately sprinkle crunched-up shredded wheat on top one-third for scarecrow hay. Wrap fruit roll (we used “Fruit by the Foot”) around ice cream cone and tie in knot. Position hat toward top of cupcake, shoving it in a bit so it stays put. Make face as shown with blue M&Ms for eyes, red mouth with red M&M cheeks and candy corn nose.