Easy Cupcakes

Lion cupcake with licorice mane

This lion looks a little goofy but kids will love sticking in the pieces of the licorice mane.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; frosting tinted yellow; red licorice strings (the stiff kind); 2 Cherrios or other O-shaped cereal; 2 blue mini M&Ms; red candy such as Runts; red writing icing or gel in tube, pastry bag or sandwich bag with tip cut off; scissors.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Place candy in center for nose. Add blue eyes (with Ms facing down). Draw red mouth using writing icing or gel. Cut licorice in various lengths and poke around edges of cupcake for mane. Add 2 Cheerios for ears.

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.

These cupcakes are something to roar about: super easy and fun for kids, too.

What You Need: 1 cupcake (baked and cooled); icing tinted yellow; yellow mini marshmallows; black licorice with candy coating; chocolate chip; 2 blue M&Ms.
How to Make It: Frost cupcake yellow. Place marshmallows around edge of cupcake. Add M&Ms for eyes and cupcake for nose. Arrange licorice for mouth.