Easy Cupcakes

What could be easier than arranging candy corn around a candy raspberry? (The hardest part might be finding the candies, but you can always substitute! Use another seasonal color of candy corn and put a gumdrop in the center instead.)

What You Need: 1 cupcake; white frosting; 6 pink candy corns (sold around Valentine’s Day and in candy shops); gummi red raspberry candy.

How to Make It: Place raspberry candy in center of cupcake. Surround with candy corn with the pointy ends pointing inward to form a flower shape.

It was my 3-year-old’s idea to add a licorice stinger to this bee cupcake.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; frosting tinted yellow; black writing icing or gel; round mint cookie (or similar dark cookie); Jordan almond (or gumdrop or other candy); bit of black string licorice.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Use black writing icing and round tip to pipe 3 or 4 stripes on bee body. Cut cookie in half and place in frosting to make wings. Add bit of black licorice for stinger. Pipe 2 black eyes on almond and place on cupcake for head.

Whether you’re gearing up for the presidential election, celebrating the Fourth of July or just feeling patriotic, these cupcakes are quick and easy, with no pastry bags or “piping” necessary.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; white frosting; large blue star sprinkles (Wilton makes some); thin red licorice strings; kitchen shears, scissors or knife.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Cut licorice as shown and arrange in stripes. Add 3 or more star sprinkles. That’s it!

Whether you’re celebrating a great tennis match or gearing up to watch tennis at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, these cupcakes will be a great addition to your party.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; frosting tinted tennis ball green (mix green and yellow); white writing icing or gel.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Pipe U-shaped curve as shown. That’s it!

Making pink ladybugs is especially easy, because you don’t have to try to blend dye into your frosting to make an intense red. Plus, pink ladybugs are cute and girly!

What You Need: 1 cupcake; frosting tinted pink (we used Wilton Aster Mauve paste food coloring); brown mini M&Ms; mini Oreo; red writing icing or gel in tube; black writing icing or gel in tube; candy eyes or white writing icing.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Use red icing to pipe mouth on Oreo and attach eyes with dab of frosting. Place on front of cupcake. Use black to pipe line from back of head down center of cupcake. Place M&Ms, upside down, on “body.”

These turtle cupcakes have legs! Well, Junior Mint legs anyway. They’re fun for kids and adults alike.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; frosting tinted green; 5 green M&Ms (any shade that contrasts with the frosting); 4 Junior Mints; 1 green Necco wafer; 2 candy eyes (or use writing icing or mini M&Ms); red writing icing.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Add Junior Mint legs and M&M spots. Add eyes and a piped mouth to the Necco wafer and place on cupcake to form turtle head.

All it takes is pastel colored candy corn and M&Ms (available around Easter time, or at specialty shops) to make pretty flower cupcakes.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; white frosting; 7 pastel candy corns; 1 pastel M&M.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Place M&M upside down in the center of the cupcake. Surround with candy corn, alternating colors, with the white tips facing inward toward the M&M center.