These cupcakes are sure to be a hit for any occasion. After all, who can resist a cupcake that looks like a miniature pie?

My darling husband sorted through an eight pound bag of M&M’s to separate the greens, blues, and reds. What a guy!

I made four dozen cupcakes, half yellow cake and half chocolate. I researched ways to improve boxed cake mix, and was pleasantly surprised with the results I got from the recipe I tried. The back of the box instructs you to add (to the cake mix) one cup of water, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, and three eggs. However, if you add four eggs (instead of three), one cup of melted butter that has rested until room temperature (instead of oil), and one cup of milk (instead of water), it makes a remarkable difference. I was afraid the mixture would not be thick enough, but it was just fine. Follow the baking instructions on the back of the box for time and temperature.

Next, comes the homemade buttercream frosting (YUM). The trick here is making sure you’ve let your butter sit out all day, so that it’s room temperature. Mix one box of powdered sugar and three tablespoons of cocoa with a whisk, then, in the mixer, add the stick of softened butter. For four dozen cupcakes, I doubled this recipe.

With my M&M’s separated and after letting my cupcakes cool completely, I began to spread a thin layer of homemade buttercream frosting over the tops of my cupcakes, and immediately covered the top in one color of M&M’s, with the “M” facing down.

Lastly, after filling a piping bag with the buttercream and choosing a flat tip, I iced the top of the cupcakes over the M&M’s, creating the appearance of “lattice.”

Don’t worry about the little imperfections, they really just make it look more like an actual pie. These little cuties are so much fun, and sure to be a favorite for all ages!