Robot Cupcake Cake Tutorial

I found this idea on Pinterest and it was just what I wanted for Lincoln's cake.

What you’ll need:

- Cake mix
- Foil cupcake wrappers
- Vanilla frosting, I made my own buttercream frosting and doubled the recipe
- Black food coloring
- Graham crackers
- Gray decorating sugar
- Bread sticks (Wheat Thins) and thin wheat sticks (Pringles)
- Gummy rings
- Vanilla wafers
- Mini M&Ms, I used Skittles
- Red and white licorice pastels
- Square candy coated gum (Chiclets), I used a butter mint
- Gumdrops (Dots)

1. Bake cupcakes according to the directions on the cake mix box. (You'll need 17 cupcakes)
2. Tint vanilla frosting with a few drops black food coloring to make it light gray.
3. Put ¾ cup of the frosting out in a sealed zipper bag (to use as piping to cover gaps in the graham crackers and create face).
4. Cut an end of one graham cracker into a 1-inch piece for the robot’s mouth.
5. Cut the graham crackers so that you have 6 rectangles (for the arms and legs) and 3 whole pieces (for the chest and head). To cut the arms, legs, and pelvis at angles, I used a serrated knife and used a sawing motion to cut.
6. Cut one last square into the pelvis shape.
7. Cover each cracker with frosting and decorating sugar, and candies and put them aside.
8. Put the rest of the gray frosting on top of each of the cupcakes and place them on a serving platter. Place 2 across for the head, leaving space for the head and chest. Then arrange four to form a square for the chest. Two groups of 2 will make the arms. One will make the pelvis, and three for each leg.
9. Place the graham crackers on top of the cupcakes to create the robot’s body.

Use the breadsticks, cookies and candies to create his features: breadsticks connect the arms and legs to the body. Gummy rings are for the ears, hands, control panel- just cut to the shape you want. M&Ms (Skittles) make the bolts, eyes, buttons, lights and toes. Licorice pastels create the mouth and nose. Vanilla wafers make his knee joints. Stick gumdrops to a toothpick or pretzel stick to create an antenna and lights.