Page 398 - Cupcakes

18 green gummy worms

1. Cut a piece of heavy cardboard to measure 33 by 12 inches. Cover it
completely with aluminum foil. Or, set aside a large, flat platter.

2. Tint the frosting starting with 1 or 2 drops of the food coloring. Blend them
into the frosting once it is sufficiently beaten. If you’d like a deeper color, add
more coloring a drop at a time. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each
cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon.

3. Arrange 9 cupcakes on the cardboard so that they form an S shape. Arrange
the 3 remaining cupcakes in front of the first cupcake to form a triangle. This is
the caterpillar’s head.

4. For the caterpillar’s eyes, place 2 candies of the same color on the first
cupcake of the head triangle, toward the front. Place a candy stick down the
center of the cupcake and between the eyes. Stand 2 candy sticks straight up in
the frosting toward the back of the cupcake to resemble antennae. Place a candy
stick down the center of each of the 2 remaining cupcakes of the caterpillar’s
head. Place 1 round candy on each side of the candy sticks, varying the colors.

5. Beginning with the first cupcake behind the head, place 1 candy stick down
the center of each cupcake, to create a line that follows the curves of the S shape.
On each cupcake, center 2 round candies of different colors, one on each side of
the candy stick.

the Cupcake Doctor says...

Use your favorite yellow or white cupcake from the book for your
caterpillar. Some of my favorites include the Butterfly Cupcakes (page 97),
White on White Cupcakes (page 166), and Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
(page 136).

6. Stick 2 gummy worms on opposite sides of each of the 9 cupcakes that form
the S, between the edge of the frosting and the top of the cupcake liner. These