How to Decorate Cupcakes for Kids

Cupcakes can reflect each child's unique personality.

Even an amateur can swirl, sprinkle and transform a plain cupcake into an original, hand-held dessert that is just what the baker ordered. According to the best-selling cookbook, "Martha Stewart Cupcakes," cupcakes are versatile treats that make everyone smile, especially children. From a whimsical flower to a frightful spider, ideas for kids' cupcake designs are endless. Dip and glaze your way toward a kid-friendly cupcake decoration by following basic guidelines and incorporating the right ingredients from a local grocery store.

Things You'll Need

• Cupcakes
• Canned icing
• Sprinkles
• Licorice
• Candies

Instructions

1. Carry your party's vision into the desserts and coordinate the cupcake design with the party's overall theme. Draw inspiration from the occasion or individual being celebrated. For example, if it is a birthday party, think about the birthday boy or girl's favorite colors, games, characters or animals and go from there.

2. Frost the cupcakes. Base the colors off the party's theme and introduce wild and bright colors that will captivate the little guest's attention.

3. Use colorful sprinkles for texture and shine. For a boy's baseball-themed cupcake, use white sprinkles to create the leather texture of a baseball and add red licorice to simulate the stitching. For a girl's princess-themed cupcake, use pink sprinkles to let the cupcake sparkle and add an edible princess topper in the center of the treat. To create a winter wonderland-themed cupcake, use coconut shavings and sprinkles to mimic snow and create a tree out of green icing.

4. Add pizazz and detail with candies and cookies. Depending upon your theme, M&Ms, cookies, peanuts, marshmallows and licorice can become eyes, ears, legs and pedal details on your kid-friendly cupcakes. These ingredients are fun, flavorful and convenient.

5. Personalize each cupcake. Use icing to pipe each guest's name or purchase sugar letters to customize a cupcake. Kids will get a kick out of finding their individualized cupcake among the sea of desserts.

6. Arrange these cupcakes to form the age that's being celebrated or a tower of decadence. How cupcakes are displayed can transform simple cupcakes into an extravagant display. For an easy, balloon-themed design, cover the cupcakes with different colored icing, arrange them in a loose cluster and use multi-colored ribbon to gather the cupcakes together like a bunch of balloons.

Tips & Warnings

• Leave some cupcakes plain and allow the kids to make their own masterpieces.

References

• "Martha Stewart Cupcakes;" Martha Stewart; 2009
• Martha Stewart: Number-Themed Mini Birthday Cupcakes