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31 Incredible Birthday Cake Designs

Step-by-step recipes, designs and color pics of the easiest (and cutest) birthday cakes for boys and girls

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 1 can (16 oz) vanilla frosting
• Red food coloring
• Green food coloring
• 12 unfrosted cupcakes baked in green paper liners*
• ½ cup green decorating sugar (optional)
• ½ cup chocolate sprinkles
• 12 Lindt chocolate truffles
• 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 12 chocolate Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped
• 72 yellow Runts
• 1 bag (12 oz) M&M's Minis
• 24 mini-chocolate chips

What you'll need:

• 3 resealable sandwich-size plastic bags (Ziploc)
• A serving platter
• Pastry brush (optional)

For the white, red, and green frosting:

1. Spoon ¼ cup of the vanilla frosting into a resealable plastic bag.
2. Tint 2 Tbsp of the vanilla frosting red using the red food coloring and spoon it into another resealable plastic bag.
3. Tint the remaining vanilla frosting green with the green food coloring.

For the green cupcake base:

1. Spread the green frosting on top of the cupcakes evenly.
2. Place the green sugar in a small bowl. Roll the edges of each cupcake in the green sugar to coat.
3. Place the cupcakes on a serving platter.

For the spider critters:

1. Place the chocolate sprinkles in a small bowl.
2. Using the pastry brush or your fingers, coat the Lindt truffles with the light corn syrup. Roll the Lindt truffles in chocolate sprinkles to cover.
3. Place one sprinkle-covered Lindt truffle on each frosted cupcake. Press a Hershey's Kiss, pointed side down, in front of the Lindt truffle. Add 3 yellow Runts on either side of each Lindt truffle for the spider's legs.

To finish the decoration:

1. Snip very small corners from each bag of frosting.
2. On the flat side of each Hershey's Kiss, pipe white dots for the spider's eyes and a small red line for the spider's mouth.
3. Add the mini-chocolate chips, flat side out, for the irises.
4. Pipe 3 dots of vanilla frosting down the back of the critter and stick the colored M&M's Minis on each dot.

Cake Anatomy: