Cupcake Bunny Cake

Ingredients

• 24 servings chocolate-covered peanuts with wrapping paper and plastic food wrap or foil (16xes)
• 0.7 oz decorating gel black
• 24 servings purple gel food coloring red
• 2 containers fluffy frosting white
• 0.7 cup marshmallows miniature (from 10.5-oz bag fruit-flavored marshmallows)
• 10.5 oz marshmallows white miniature ()
• 2  nonpareils dark
• 1 box duncan hines classic decadent cake mix (any flavor)

Equipment

• bowl
• oven
• wire rack
• muffin liners

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350F (325F for dark or nonstick pans).
2. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3. Pour bag of white miniature marshmallows into large shallow bowl. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the frosting into small bowl; tint with food color to desired shade of pink for nose; set aside. Pipe or spread remaining frosting on cupcakes (frosting will be slightly mounded). Press top of each cupcake into marshmallows, covering top completely.
4. Place cupcakes on platter, fitting snugly together.
5. Sprinkle leftover marshmallows as needed to fill in any gaps between cupcakes forming face.
6. Sprinkle pink marshmallows in center of each ear.
7. Place peppermint patties on face for eyes. Pipe or spread pink frosting on face for nose. Pipe 3 (3-inch) lines with black decorating gel on either side of nose for whiskers; pipe 2 lines below nose for mouth. (Or, cut 6 thin 3-inch pieces of licorice for whiskers and 2 thin 5-inch strips of licorice for mouth; arrange on face.) Store loosely covered.