Snowman Cupcakes

Happy times with kids call for cheerful cupcakes. Easier to serve than cake, cupcakes require no slicing, no plates, and no forks and every child gets her fair share of icing. This design starts as a Chocolate Cupcake or Vanilla Cupcake iced with Swiss Meringue Buttercream perfect for spreading in thin layers or sculpting into thick mounds (and licking from the bowl).The cupcakes can be baked a week ahead and frozen, but decorate them no more than a day before serving. Set up an assembly line, and put kids in charge of affixing candy eyes, gumdrop cheeks, and other trimmings. Pack the cupcakes in a shallow plastic container, and stuff crumpled waxed paper in between. Then dole them out and watch kids marvel for a second before opening wide.