"Eyeball" Cupcakes

Halloween fun! Frosted cupcakes are decorated with candy 'eyeballs' made with ring-shaped chewy fruit snacks and candy-coated chocolate pieces placed in the centers for the 'pupils', with red decorating gel used for drawing squiggly veins.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 (2-layer size) package chocolate cake mix
1 (4-serving size) package instant chocolate pudding and pie filling
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted (4 to 4 1/2 cups)
24 ring-shaped chewy fruit snacks
24 miniature candy-coated chocolate pieces
1 (19.28 grams) tube red decorating gel

Cooking Directions:

1. Prepare cake batter as directed on package; add dry pudding mix and mix well. Spoon evenly into 24 paper-lined medium muffin cups. Bake as directed on package for cupcakes. Cool completely.
2. Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition. Spread evenly onto tops of cupcakes.
3. Place 1 fruit snack on top of each cupcake. Add 1 candy-coated chocolate piece to center of each fruit snack for the eyeball. Draw squiggly lines with decorating gel from the eyeballs to outsides of fruit snacks to resemble eyeball veins.

Makes 24 cupcakes.