Easy Cupcakes

Make an entire pig body on a cupcake using just one metal tip! (Or, if you want to take it a step further, use a ribbon-type tip to make pointier ears). These pink pig cupcakes are perfect for a farm themed party or anytime!

What You Need: 1 cupcake; white frosting; pink frosting; black gel or writing icing; candy eyes (or small candies such as mini M&Ms); pastry bag fitted with coupler and #5 metal tip.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake white. With pink icing, pipe pig body, arms, legs and head. Pipe smaller “blob” of icing on top of head for snot. Add ears, pulling away to form points. Use black icing for nostrils. Add eyes.

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 you need to top this easy lion cupcake is caramel corn, mini M&Ms and a tube of black writing or gel icing. These would be great for a jungle party or other kid event.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; frosting tinted deep yellow; caramel popcorn; 2 blue mini M&Ms; black writing icing or gel icing in a tube.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. (You should do the eyes, nose and mouth first so you don’t have to reach around the mane). Place 2 blue mini M&Ms, writing side down, for eyes. Use tube icing to draw nose and mouth (muzzle). Add caramel corn in a circle around the cupcake for mane.

I saw Cherrios cereal used as animal ears and just had to try it myself. These tigers are super cute, and there’s no piping or other fancy stuff so they’re a “cakewalk” to make.
What You Need: 1 cupcake; icing tinted orange; 2 Cherrios; 1 mini marshmallow; 1 chocolate chip; 2 brown mini M&Ms; black gel icing; scissors.
How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Cut marshmallow in half and position both, sticky side down, to form tiger muzzle (cheeks). Add chocolate chip nose and mini M&M eyes. Stick 2 Cheerios in icing for ears. Use black writing icing or gel to make stripes as shown. (Mine started out as zig-zags but melted a bit.)

I’ve seen versions of these bear cupcakes in several books and magazines and finally went looking for the chocolate nonpareil wafer candies that form the muzzle for these cute cubs. Immediately, I whipped up a batch for the preschool bake sale. My 3-year-old put the “muzzle” candies on.
What You Need: 1 cupcake; chocolate frosting; chocolate nonpareil (white sprinkles) candy; red hot cinnamon imperial candies; red icing or gel (I just used Wilton icing in a premade tube with a #3 tip and coupler.)
How to Make It: Frost cupcakes. Place chocolate nonpareil in center. Use red to “draw” on a mouth as shown. Immediately (so it will stick) place red hot candy for nose and 2 for eyes. If you want, you can add cookies (such as mini Oreos or mini Nilla wafers) for ears.

There are plenty of ways to make cute pig cupcakes. Don’t squeal if you don’t have the exact same candies we used. Just have fun with it!
What You Need: 1 cupcake; icing tinted pink or mauve; 2 pink heart candies; 1 pink Jordan almond; 2 blue mini M&Ms; white writing icing.
How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Place hearts, upside down, at top for ears. Add almond nose. Use white writing icing or gel to make pig nose nostrils.

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house we were making mouse cupcakes. And it was easy.

What You Need: 1 cupcake (baked and cooled); chocolate frosting; 2 black Necco wafers; 2 red hots (cinnamon imperials); red licorice strings; red gumdrop.
How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Stick lengths of red licorice into cupcake for mouse whiskers and tail. Insert 2 Necco wafers at an angle for ears. Add gumdrop nose and red hot eyes.