As some of you know, I keep chickens.  Lots of chickens.  We just recently added to our existing flock and I’ve enjoyed watching the chicks wander around the yard while the older chickens teach them how to scratch for their food.  Keeping chickens is very rewarding and if you’re interested in adding to your flock, or starting a flock, check out mypetchicken.com learn more about the many different breeds of chickens available and how to care for them.  Out of all the companies I have ordered chicks from, I trust My Pet Chicken the most.

In the meantime, enjoy these cute baby chicks and mama hen made from cupcakes!

What you will need:

• 1 large cupcake tin
• 1 mini cupcake tin
• cake batter of your choice
• stiff buttercream frosting (about 5 cups)
• yellow food coloring
• orange food coloring
• pink food coloring
• mini chocolate chips
• #21 start tip (#23-24 will work as well), #16 star tip, #4 round tip, and #10 round tip
• flat icing spatula or butter knife
• non-stick spray
• pastry bags (I prefer cloth bags because they are reusable, but disposable will work as well)

To get started on making your own little chicken family you will want to bake 12 large cupcakes and 12 mini cupcakes.  This will make 12 hens and 12 chicks.  If you want more chicks than hens, make more mini cupcakes than large.  Instead of using cupcake papers use non-stick spray because it will make it easier to frost the sides.  Instead of filling the cupcake tins 2/3 full I filled them 3/4 full to create a more rounded top.

Once the cupcakes are cool, cut down vertically in the center to cut through the ‘muffin top’ part of the cupcake.  Stop when you get to the ‘cup’ portion of the cupcake.  Next, cut horizontally in from the side to remove half of the ‘muffin top’ portion of the cupcake.

Cut the portion you just separated in half and save one piece.  You may eat the other half.  Flip it around so that the sloped part of the cupcake piece is facing inward.

Place a little frosting under the separated section to hold in in place before you start frosting the cupcake.  Use either a #21 star tip or #10 round tip to pipe the frosting onto the cupcake.  This will make it easier to ice the cupcake in an even layer.  Putting a base coat of frosting on will help the ‘feathers’ stick to the cupcake.  Once you have finished base icing the cupcake, start adding the feathers using a small star tip.

Start with adding the feathers on the back and work towards the front of the hen, giving the feathers a layered look.  After the main body is done start adding the feathers on the neck of the hen, working from the bottom up.

One all the feathers are placed add two mini chocolate chips for eyes, pushing the pointed ends in first.  (If your chocolate chips are not perfectly round and have little bumps on the bottom side, just position them to look like eyelashes!)  I like to add the eyes first so that I can judge where to put the beak and waddles.  Next, use a small round tip to add the beak.  At this point you can use a #21 star tip to add the wings to the body.

After you add the beak you can add the feet, making three lines out from the side of the hen on both sides.  Lastly, add the waddles and the comb using a small round tip.

To make the chicks, repeat the same process, excluding the waddles and comb and using a small round tip for the feathers instead of a star tip.  If you want to make the chicks look like they’re peeping, first pipe the bottom part of the beak, and then the top part.

Enjoy your new little chicken family!