6 Simple Birthday Cupcakes

Kids love cupcakes and these 6 recipes are sure to bring smiles to their faces. I love how simple they are for MOMS to make.

Tie-dyed Cupcakes
from Betty Crocker

Ingredients

1	box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white or yellow cake mix
	Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
1	container (9 oz) Betty Crocker® Parlor Perfect™ confetti sprinkles

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make cake as directed on box for 24 cupcakes--except fill muffin cups half full; top each with 1/4 teaspoon sprinkles. Top with remaining batter; sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon sprinkles.
2. Bake and cool as directed on box for cupcakes.

Clown Cupcakes
from: Taste Of Home

Ingredients

• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
• 3 cans (16 ounces each) vanilla frosting, divided
• Yellow, red and blue paste food coloring
• 24 ice cream sugar cones
• Assorted candies: M&M's miniature baking bits, red shoestring licorice and cherry sour ball candies

Directions

• Prepare and bake cake batter according to package directions for cupcakes. Cool completely on wire racks. Divide two cans of frosting among three bowls; tint with yellow, red and blue food coloring.
• For clown hats, use a serrated knife or kitchen scissors to cut 2 in. from the open end of each cone. Frost cones with tinted frosting; decorate with baking bits. Place on waxed paper for 30 minutes or until frosting is set.
• Frost cupcakes with remaining vanilla frosting. Leaving room for the hat on each cupcake, make a clown face and hair with candies. Pipe a matching ruffle on each. Carefully position a hat on each cupcake. Yield: 2 dozen.

Cub Cupcakes
from: Family Fun

Ingredients

• Cupcakes
• White or light chocolate frosting

• Mint patties
• Junior mints or chocolate chips

Instructions

1. To make these treats, frost your favorite cupcakes with white or light chocolate icing (for a furry paw, mix the frosting with grated coconut first).

2. Top each cupcake with a small mint patty. Then place three Junior mints or chocolate chips, points up, around the larger patty for claw marks.

Dinosaur Cupcakes
from: Family Fun

You can actually make this same cupcake using any time of topper....this is a great reminder how simple it is to make cute cupcakes. You could use Barbie shoes, Hot wheel cars, Wild animals, Polly Pockets or Plastic rings. Think about your theme and get creative.

Ingredients

• Baked cupcakes
• White icing
• Zip-top plastic bag

• Shredded coconut
• Green food coloring
• Small plastic dinosaur (washed)

Instructions

1. Frost the cupcake. To make the "grass," place a handful of shredded coconut in the zip-top bag, add a few drops of food coloring, seal the bag and shake it. Cover the frosting with grass and top with a dinosaur.

Tips:

For a sandy look, use crushed graham crackers or molasses cookies instead of tinted coconut. Small rocks can be made out of chopped nuts.

Fairy Dust Wands
from: BHG

Ingredients

• 1 19.8-ounce package fudge brownie mix
• Small star stencils
• Powdered sugar
• 1 ounce vanilla-flavored candy coating, chopped (optional)
• Fine sanding sugar (optional)
• Gold luster dust (optional)
• White nonpareils (optional)
• 2 tablespoons canned chocolate frosting
• 12 cream-filled pirouette cookie

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease 12 2-1/2-inch muffin cups; set aside. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven for 24 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; loosen sides and remove from pans. Cool cupcakes completely on wire racks.

2. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, make a small hole in the side of each cupcake by twisting carefully. Turn cupcakes bottom sides up. Place a star stencil onto a cupcake and sprinkle with powdered sugar; lift stencil carefully. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.

3. Or, place candy coating, if using, in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat on 50% power (medium) for 1 minute; stir until smooth. Cool about 5 minutes; spoon into a small, heavy plastic bag. Snip a small hole in one corner of the bag. Pipe swirls and other desired designs onto cupcakes. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, luster dust, and nonpareils, if desired, or dust with powdered sugar.

4. Place a little chocolate frosting on the end of a pirouette cookie. Gently push the frosted end of the pirouette into the hole in the side of a cupcake to make the handle of the fairy wand. Repeat with remaining frosting, cookies, and cupcakes. Makes 12.

Triple Treat Chocolate Cupcakes

from: Nestle

For those chocolate loving fans this is the perfect simple cupcake.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) devil's food cake mix
• 1 pkg. (4 oz.) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling mix
• 1 container (8 oz.) sour cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® SWIRLED™ Semi-Sweet & Premier White Morsels, divided
• 1 container (16 oz.) prepared white frosting

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Paper-line 30 muffin cups.

COMBINE cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, vegetable oil and water in large mixer bowl; beat on low speed just until blended. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup morsels. Fill each cup 2/3 full.

BAKE for 25 to 28 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost; decorate with remaining morsels.