Serves: 12
Total Calories: 9

1/2 cup vanilla or chocolate chip ready-to-spread frosting or Buttercream Frosting
2 drops food colors green
6 cupcakes baked in paper liners
1 9-inch round cake layer
1 15 x 12-inch foil-covered cake board or baking sheet
1 1/4 cups chocolate ready-to-spread frosting or Chocolate Buttercream
Frosting
2 vanilla wafers
2 brown jelly beans
1 white jelly bean
1 licorice whip 1/2 -inch length
1 licorice whip 2 1/2 -inch length
2 licorice 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon coconut flaked
Several pink jelly beans

To prepare the frosting: Tint white or chocolate chip frosting with green food color until green. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

To prepare the ears: Remove paper liners from two of the cupcakes. Cut off crowns (A).

To prepare the nose: Remove paper liner from one cupcake. Cut off crown (A).

To make the bow tie: Remove paper liners from remaining three cupcakes. Set one aside for center of bow tie. Cut a small slice from two sides of each remaining cupcake (B).

To assemble the cakes: Brush loose crumbs from surface of round cake layer with a soft pastry brush. Place on cake board or baking sheet. Fasten ears to cake with chocolate frosting. Frost top and sides of face and ears with remaining chocolate frosting, reserving 1 tablespoon. Place nose, cut-side down, in center of face. Spread tip of nose with 2 teaspoons of the reserved chocolate frosting. Assemble bow tie by placing one of the cut cupcakes on each side of center cupcake. Fasten to each other with green frosting, then fasten bow tie to bottom of cake layer (C). Frost top and sides of bow tie with green frosting.

To decorate the cake: Before the frosting sets, score bear's face and ears with a fork to make "fur". Place vanilla wafers on face for eyes. Using remaining 1 teaspoon chocolate frosting and brown jelly beans, fasten one to each vanilla wafer. Press white jelly bean into chocolate frosting on nose. Make mouth using 1/2 -inch and 2 1/2 -inch pieces of licorice. Make eyebrows with 1-inch pieces of licorice. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut on each ear. Place pink jelly beans on bow tie.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 12
Total Calories: 9
Calories from Fat: 5

More Recipes from the Birthday Cakes For Kids Cookbook:
"I Love You" Cake
Brown Bear Cake
Butter Cake
Cake Boards
Circus Carousel Cake
Critter Cupcakes
Daisy Cake
Flutterby Cake
Frosting
Hot Rod Cake
Kooky Klown Kake
Mr. Monster Cake
Musical Cake
Orange Tabby Cake
Pan Coating
Rainbow Balloon Cake
Snow White Cake
Sour Cream Chocolate Cake