Fun ways to decorate cupcakes!

Cupcake Recipes for Kids
Fun Ways to Decorate These Favorite Treats
© Denise Oliveri

There are so many ways to decorate cupcakes. By using the basic cupcake recipe shown here, you will also see how to turn them into delectable creations.
These cupcake recipes are fun to make and even more fun to eat! Your kids will have a blast making butterflies and ladybugs. Let's get cooking.

Basic Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1-1/3 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening, milk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape side of bowl with a spatula.
Add eggs to the mixture. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape bowl again. Beat on high speed for 1 minute 30 seconds until well mixed.
Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners until 1/2 to 2/3 full.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely.

Butterfly Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Cupcakes (recipe above)
Vanilla frosting
Green food coloring
Fruit Slice candies
Sour straw candy
Skittles
Directions:
Tint the vanilla frosting by adding one or two drops of green food coloring to make a minty colored frosting.
Frost the cupcakes.
For the wings, cut fruit slice candies in half horizontally.
For the body, cut red sour straws in strips.
For the head, put Skittles at the end of the strips.
For the antennae, cut shorter strips of sour straws, snipping in half lengthwise. Place at the top of the head.

Ladybug Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Cupcakes (recipe above)
Chocolate frosting
Strawberry frosting
Red fruit slice candy
M&M Mini's
Junior Mints
Black licorice lace candy
Small zip-lock freezer bag
Directions:
Ice the cupcakes with strawberry icing.
Place the chocolate frosting in a small zip-lock freezer bag and snip off one corner. Pipe a mound of chocolate frosting in the center of each cupcake.
Slice a red fruit slice in half for the wings. Place on top of the chocolate icing.
Attach M&M Mini's to wings using frosting for glue.
Attach a Junior Mint for the head and two black licorice pieces for the antennae.