Bee hive cupcakes inspired

Sandra Lee has the most amazing and easy recipes.  Not only are they mighty tasty, but they are beautiful for the eye to behold.  These little cakes would be the perfect finish for a simple down home picnic.  The bees are the cutest and so easy to make.  Just makes me want to pluck one off and pop it in my mouth.  I may just have to whip some of these up for my next informal dinner party or just to snack on while relaxing on the deck. 


Enjoy!!!

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 package (18.25 ounces) butter recipe yellow cake mix, Betty Crocker®
• 11⁄2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
• 3⁄4 cup water
• 1⁄2 cup plus 3 tablespoons honey, Sue Bee®
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable shortening, Crisco®
• 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted, C&H®
• 5 drops yellow food coloring, McCormick®
• 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tube (4.25 ounces) yellow decorating icing, Cake Mate®
• 48 black jelly beans, Jelly Belly®
• 96 sliced almonds, Planters®

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twenty-four 21⁄2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, 1⁄2 cup of the butter, the water, 1⁄2 cup of the honey, and the eggs with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down side of bowl; beat for 2 minutes on medium. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
3. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups; cool completely on rack.
4. For yellow frosting, in a large bowl, beat shortening and the remaining 1 cup butter with electric mixer on medium until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, the remaining 3 tablespoons honey, and the yellow food coloring. Beat until combined. Add cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat on high until desired thickness.
5. To create beehives, insert a large round decorating tip into a large pastry bag. Fill pastry bag with yellow frosting. Pipe a small cone of frosting in the center of the top of each cupcake. Starting from the outer edge of each cupcake and working inward and upward, pipe frosting to form a hive shape.
6. To create bees, pipe yellow decorating icing in thin horizontal lines on black jelly beans. Let icing stand for 30 minutes. Insert two striped jelly beans on each frosting hive. For wings, insert an end of a
   sliced almond on each side of each striped jelly bean. 
   
                             Yellow Inspired\
   
   Sunny yellow makes for a perfect combination for summer fun.  A little or a lot makes you just want to smile.
   
   This dress was made for a fun and flirty afternoon. 
    
   
   
   
   
   
    These chairs are the perfect pop of color.  I think this would be outstanding for a roof top deck.
   
   
   
    Yellow can be too lively a color for a bedroom but a little can go a long way.  Choose accents of soft buttery yellow with lots of white to promote sweet dreams.
   
   
   
   Decorate with all your heart,
   
   Kathleen