Mini Cupcake Mortarboards

 

1

box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® cake mix (any flavor)

Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

1

box (4.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Fruit by the Foot® chewy fruit snack rolls (any flavor) or shoestring licorice

1

container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting

Food color

60

square shortbread cookies (from two 10-oz packages)

60

candy-coated chocolate or fruit-flavored candies

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place miniature paper baking cups in 24 mini muffin cups, 1 3/4x1 inch. Make cake batter as directed on box. Fill cups 2/3 full of batter (about 1 rounded tablespoon each). Refrigerate remaining batter.
• 2 Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cool. Repeat with remaining batter. (Leave paper baking cups on cupcakes so mortarboards are quicker and easier to make and more portable to serve.)
• 3 To make tassels: Cut sixty 2 1/2-inch lengths from fruit snack rolls. Cut each into several strips up to 1/2 inch from 1 end. Roll uncut end between fingertips to make tassels. Or cut several pieces of shoestring licorice into 2 1/2-inch lengths.
• 4 Tint frosting with food color to match paper baking cups. Frost bottoms of cookies. Place 1 candy on center of each. For each mortarboard, place small dollop of frosting on bottom of cupcake; top with cookie. Press uncut end of fruit snack or 3 or 4 pieces of licorice into frosted cookie next to candy. Store loosely covered.