Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

By cwyorkiex3

Place a mini donut atop a cupcake to transform it into a dome shape. With a decoration of orange-tinted frosting and gum drop stems you’ll have a bumper crop of mini pumpkins.

Ingredients

• 1 package (18 1/4 ounces) white cake mix
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
• McCormick® Assorted Food Colors & Egg Dye
• 1 container (16-ounce) vanilla frosting
• 24 mini donuts
• 24 green gum drops

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare cake mix as directed on package, adding vanilla. Tint cake batter orange with 1/2 teaspoon yellow food color and 1/4 teaspoon red food color.

Bake as directed on package for cupcakes. Cool cupcakes on wire rack.

Tint frosting orange using 1/4 teaspoon yellow food color and 1/8 teaspoon red food color. Attach a mini donut to cupcake with some frosting. Frost entire donut and top of cupcake. Press ridges into the frosting with a small knife to resemble a pumpkin. Use a gum drop for the stem.

Easy Jack-O-Lantern Cupcakes: Omit mini donuts. Frost cupcakes with orange-tinted frosting. Use candy-coated pieces to decorate the face and green gum drops for the stems.