Online - May 05, 2005

Butterfly in the Hand

Spring Cupcakes

In spring, young’uns fancy the thought of cupcakes. (Actually, cake is on the brain year-round.) To celebrate the season of birds and bees — and meet the ever-present cake quota — baking goddess Clare Crespo dreamed up an oh-so-adorable project just for DailyCandy Kids: Flutterby Cupcakes.

Here’s what you’ll need:

12 unfrosted cupcakes (Store-bought will work.)

1 batch of frosting (A premade tub is just fine.)

24 caramels

24 yogurt-covered pretzels

2 licorice whips, cut into 24 pieces

24 confetti sprinkles (the small, round, flat variety)

Before you frost your cupcakes, decide whether you’d like your frosting to be pink or blue or yellow. If so, add a few drops of food coloring and mix well. Then frost your cupcakes.

Roll a couple of caramels between your palms until they are soft, like play dough. Continue rolling the caramel until you’ve made a short caterpillar shape. This is your butterfly’s body. Stick two same-color sprinkles to the front of the body for eyes. Use bits of licorice above the eyes for antennae. Pretzels stuck to each side of the body are wings. Voila: a butterfly. Let him land atop a frosted cupcake.

Display your cupcakes with a flowering branch for an especially festive spring treat.

For more ways to play with your food, go to yummyfun.com.