Jungle Animal Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 box duncan hines devil's food cake yellow
• 16 oz chocolate frosting 
• 1 serving purple gel food coloring black
• 16 oz vanilla frosting 
• 1 serving food coloring red yellow
• 1.5 cups caramel popcorn 
• 12  bacon bits miniature
• 12  pretzel sticks 
• 12 pieces corn flakes/bran flakes (any flavor)
• 12  bacon bits miniature
• 12  gumdrops cut in half crosswise, top halves discarded (not sugar coated)
• 12  bacon bits miniature
• 6  marshmallows miniature cut in half crosswise, pieces flattened
• 12 small round chocolate-covered creamy mints 
• 6  vanilla wafers 
• 24  bacon bits miniature
• 6  gumdrops black cut in half vertically (not sugar coated)

Equipment

• bowl
• oven
• wire rack
• muffin liners

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F 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. Decorate cupcakes to make 6 lions, 6 tigers, 6 monkeys and 6 zebras.
3. In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup chocolate frosting with black food color to make black frosting.
4. Place in resealable plastic freezer bag; cut small tip off 1 corner of bag. Use black frosting to decorate lions, tigers, monkeys and zebras (steps 3 through 7).
5. Lions and Tigers: In medium bowl, mix 1 cup vanilla frosting with enough yellow and red food colors to make orange. In small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon orange frosting with 3 tablespoons white vanilla frosting to make lighter orange for muzzles. Frost 12 cupcakes with darker orange frosting. For muzzle, spread or pipe small circle of lighter orange frosting on each cupcake.
6. For lions, place caramel corn around edges of cupcakes for mane. For eyes, add brown baking bits. For whiskers, break about 1/2-inch pieces off each end of pretzel sticks and insert in cupcakes. For ears, add cereal pieces. Using black frosting, pipe on mouth and nose.
7. For tigers, use black frosting to pipe on stripes, nose and mouth. For eyes, add brown baking bits. For ears, add gumdrop halves.
8. Monkeys: Frost 6 cupcakes with chocolate frosting. In small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon chocolate frosting and 2 tablespoons vanilla frosting to make light brown. For muzzle, spread or pipe circle of light brown on each cupcake that starts in middle and extends to edge; pipe small tuft of hair on opposite edge. For each eye, attach brown baking bit to marshmallow half with frosting; place on cupcakes. With black frosting, pipe on nose and mouth. For ears, add mints.
9. Cut small horizontal slit in top of 6 cupcakes near edge of paper cup. Insert edge of vanilla wafer cookie into each slit to create elongated face, adding small amount of vanilla frosting to cookie before inserting to help stick. Frost cupcakes with vanilla frosting. For muzzles, frost cookies with black frosting. With black frosting, pipe on stripes and mane.
10. Add brown baking bits for nostrils and eyes. For ears, add black gumdrop halves, cut sides down.