Summer Cupcakes Perfect For Parties!

Cupcake Strawberries

Ingredients
* 1 box (18.25 ounces) Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Strawberry Supreme Cake Mix
* 1 can plus 1 cup Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Classic Vanilla Frosting
* Red paste food coloring
* 48 thin chocolate cookie crisps (100 calorie Oreo Crisps)
* 12 spearmint leaves
* 12 wheat sticks or thin pretzels (Pringles)
* 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 48 mini muffin cups with red mini foil liners. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions.

2. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until cupcakes are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely.

3. Tint the vanilla frosting red with the red paste food coloring.

4. Spread a small dot of red frosting on top of the cupcakes and press a thin chocolate cookie, allowing cookie to overhang cupcake slightly at a point. Spread some of the remaining red frosting on top of the cookie and cupcake to mound slightly and make smooth. Sprinkle the top with the sesame seeds. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes and frosting.

5. Roll out the spearmint leaves in the sugar making sure to keep them covered with sugar to prevent sticking. Cut out green tops of strawberries using the template and some scissors. Cut the wheat sticks into 1 1/2 inch long pieces. Poke a hole in the center of the green top and insert the wheat stick. Press the other end of the wheat stick into the wide end of the top of the cupcake to finish the strawberry. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

Makes 48 mini cupcakes.

Lemonade Cooler Cupcakes

Ingredients
* 1 box (18.25 ounces) Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
* 1 can (16 ounces) Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Lemon Supreme Frosting
* 4 drops yellow food coloring
* 8 pieces green gum sticks, spearmint gum
* 8 small lemon candy slices
* 4 green straws cut in half crosswise

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups with 2 yellow paper liners in each cup. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until cupcakes are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 21 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely.

2. Tint the lemon frosting a brighter yellow with the food coloring – stir to blend well. Spread the frosting on top of all of the cupcakes and make smooth, making sure to keep the double paper liners in place.

3. Use a pair of craft scissors (or regular scissors) to cut the gum slices into 16 leaf shapes. Pinch one narrow end to make the leaves. Press a lemon slice, 2 leaves and a straw on top of 8 of the cupcakes.

4. Arrange a tower of 3 cupcakes stacked on top of each other, ending in a cupcake with the straw to create the glass. (If traveling with the cupcakes do not assemble until you are at the location.) Press the cupcakes into the frosting to secure.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Recipes provided by Duncan Hines. Have a winning cupcake recipe of your own? Enter the Cupcake Challenge at www.duncanhines.com/cupcakechallenge.