Ball Game Cupcakes

From BETTY CROCKER

Makes 24 cupcakes

Score big at your next party with these Ball Game Cupcakes! Everyone will get to pick their favorite sport and celebrate the big day with a surefire win!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1 box BETTY CROCKER Super Moist yellow cake mix

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 container BETTY CROCKER Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting

Assorted colors BETTY CROCKER decorating icing (in 4.25-oz tubes) or Betty Crocker™ Easy Flow decorating icing (in 6.4-oz cans)

Assorted food colors

DIRECTIONS

1.Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. In small bowl, toss chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of the cake mix. In large bowl, beat remaining cake mix, water, oil, and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in coated chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about two-thirds full).

2.Bake 20 to 26 minutes (23 to 30 minutes for dark or nonstick pans), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3.FOR BASEBALLS: Frost cupcakes with vanilla frosting. With black, red, or blue icing, pipe 2 arches on opposite sides of cupcakes, curving lines slightly toward center. Pipe small lines from each arch to look like stitches on a baseball.

4.FOR BASKETBALLS: Color frosting with yellow and red food colors to make orange; frost cupcakes. With black icing, pipe line across center of cupcake. On either side, pipe an arch that curves slightly toward center line.

5.FOR SOCCER BALLS: Frost cupcakes with vanilla frosting. With black icing, pipe a pentagon shape in the center of cupcake, piping a few rows of icing into center of pentagon. Pipe lines from pentagon to edge of cupcake to look like seams. With toothpick or spatula, spread black icing in center of pentagon to fill in the entire shape.

6.FOR TENNIS BALLS: Color frosting with yellow and green food colors to make tennis-ball yellow; frost cupcakes. With white icing, pipe curved design to look like tennis balls.

7.Store cupcakes loosely covered

TIP: Arrange cupcakes on green grass. To make grass, place 1 cup coconut and 3 drops green food color in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal. Squeeze bag and coconut until evenly tinted.

Find this recipe and more holiday treats at bettycrocker.com