SCARECROW CUPCAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• For the Scarecrow: Arrange standard-size cupcakes into a scarecrow body (we used 6 across for arms and top of chest, 2 for the midsection and 3 for each leg). Arrange mini cupcakes into the head and hat (7 each). Frost 4 standard-size cupcakes with 1 cup orange buttercream (homemade or store-bought, tinted as directed throughout) and 10 standard-size cupcakes with 2 1/4 cups blue buttercream. Use 1 1/4 cups tan frosting for the face and 1 1/4 cups brown frosting for the hat. Use pieces of shredded wheat as straw, 2 orange M&M’s for buttons, 2 mini Nutter Butter cookie halves for eyes, 2 large black wafer candies for pupils, 1 candy corn for the nose, yellow chocolate-coated sunflower seeds and 1 double chocolate–coated sunflower seed for the flower. Use additional orange frosting to pipe on stitches and additional blue frosting to pipe on the hat band. For the Crow: 2 large Oreos for the body and wings, 1 mini Oreo for the face, 1 orange chocolate-coated sunflower seed for the nose, and 2 candy eyeballs. For the Corn: Nutter Butter cookie for the cob, candy-coated sunflower seeds glued on with royal icing for the corn, peanut butter for the husk, and pieces of shredded wheat as straw and hay bales.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with shortening; lightly flour. In large bowl, beat all ingredients except frosting, syrup, waffle bowls and fruit snack with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
• Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Place cake on serving plate. Stir together frosting and syrup; reserve 1/4 cup of the frosting. Spread remaining frosting over cake. For straw hat, place 1 waffle bowl upside down in center of cake. Stack 5 more bowls on first bowl.
• For hair, cut fruit snack into 14 (6-inch) strips and 14 (5-inch) strips. Cut each strip lengthwise to within 1 inch of top of strip. Place one 6-inch and 5-inch strip together, pressing together at uncut ends. Repeat with remaining strips. Randomly press pairs of strips on top of two-thirds of cake, overlapping as needed and allowing strips to hang over side of cake. Spread reserved 1/4 cup frosting over top of hair.
• For brim of hat, break remaining waffle bowls into 5 or 6 pieces each. Randomly press waffle pieces on top of cake, overlapping and tucking pieces as needed. Allow waffle pieces to hang over side of cake and over fruit snack strips. Cut pieces of remaining fruit snack for eyes and nose; press on cake.