Birthday Cupcakes

These were the second "fun" cupcakes I ever made! These ladybug cupcakes I made for my mom's birthday in February 2008.

For the set of 3 ladybugs, I frosted the cupcakes in green icing. Then I piped (with a wide tip) 3 red frosting ovals. Using a small tip and chocolate frosting, I added spots and heads.

For the single ladybug, I cut the tops off of the cupcakes and cut the tops in half. I used chocolate frosting (on chocolate cupcakes) to reattach the wings to the body. I used a star tip to pipe red frosting on the wings and the spots with chocolate frosting. I used a wide tip to add a chocolate frosting head.

These pool balls I made for Brian's birthday in January 2009. I used colored sugar for all the colors. To make the stripes, I attached small pieces of wax paper to the top and bottom of the cupcakes and rolled the cupcake in the sugar to make the lines. I intended on using Necco wafers for the numbers, but I found Junior Mints Inside Outs (where the outside is milk chocolate and the outside is the white mint chocolate). I used black piping gel to write the numbers. The "chalk" is also edible, as it is two blue starburst stuck together and indented with a round tip. Then I bought a triangle to display them.