Ingredients
CUPCAKES
1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Water, as directed on package
1/3 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, melted
3 Land O Lakes® Eggs

FROSTING
6 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 to 6 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
Yellow and green food color

DECORATIONS
Decorator candies, gumdrops etc.

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.

Place paper baking cups into 24 muffin pan cups; set aside.

Combine cake mix, brown sugar and cinnamon in large bowl. Add water, 1/3 cup melted butter and eggs; beat at medium speed until ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until well mixed.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 18-23 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to wire cooling rack. Cool completely.

Combine powdered sugar, 3/4 cup butter and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, gradually adding enough milk and scraping bowl often for desired spreading consistency.

Place 1/3 cup frosting in small bowl; stir in cocoa for brown frosting. Frost 4 cupcakes with brown frosting; set aside. Place 1/3 cup white frosting in another small bowl; tint with yellow food color. Spoon into small resealable plastic food bag; set aside. Tint remaining white frosting with green food color. Frost or pipe remaining 20 cupcakes with green frosting.

For each tree, arrange 10 green frosted cupcakes into tree-shape on flat surface or large flat platter; place 2 brown frosted cupcakes at base to form tree trunk.

Snip off small corner of yellow frosting bag. Pipe frosting in a light string design on tree. Decorate each tree as desired.

Recipe Tip

Recipe makes 2 decorative cupcake trees.