Groundhog’s Day Cupcakes

Groundhog’s Day is primarily associated with a giant rodent who predicts the weather, but why not celebrate with cupcakes? The Birmingham Zoo made this video that shows how to make some adorable Groundhog’s Day cupcakes.

The procedure is pretty simple and quick. Use whatever flavor of cupcakes you want, since the cupcake won’t show through. The zookeeper performing the demonstration uses vanilla, which goes nicely with the chocolate decorations, but chocolate or almond flavored cupcakes would be great as well.

Decorate the candy bar to look like a groundhog. The recipe suggests Almond Joy, but most candy bars would work well. The video shows every step of how to decorate the candy bar.

Just one caveat: the video was made last year. If you’re in the vicinity of the Birmingham Zoo, the times for Groundhog’s Day celebrations shown at the end of the video aren’t going to be correct. Be sure to call the zoo first.

Groundhog’s Day Cupcakes

Ingredients

6 cupcakes
3 Almond Joy candy bars (1 for every 2 cupcakes)
1 mini M&Ms tube
chocolate icing
Oreo cookies without filling (or other chocolate cookie)
black decoration gel
3 pink jelly beans
3 white jelly beans

Cut a small bit of each cupcake out of the top. This is where the Almond Joy groundhog will stand up. Spread chocolate icing over the top.

Make the groundhog by attaching brown, mini-M&Ms to the Almond Joy with icing to make the cheeks and ears.

Cut bits of pink and white jelly beans and attach them as the nose and teeth. Use black gel icing to make the eyes.

Smash the Oreos without the white filling and sprinkle on top of the cupcake for the dirt.

Insert the groundhog candy bar into the space on the cupcake you cut out earlier. The groundhog will be standing up in the middle of the “dirt” on the cupcake.