The Hunger Games. Just three simple words, and I am already pumped to go see the midnight premiere tonight.

In my spare time I look up different recipes for any kind of food. I was looking for cupcake recipes and I found this one where a woman decorated a cupcake in honor of The Hunger Games. When I saw these cupcakes on her blog, www.ericasweettooth.com, I told myself and everyone around me that I had to make these for the movie event of the year.

This recipe is simple and easy, and you have the ingredients right in your own pantry.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

12 cupcakes from your favorite cake box mix

1 package of Oreos, a couple to decorate, the rest for you to eat

Black construction paper for the little arrowheads (12)

12 small wood skewers

12 print out of the HG logo cut in circles

For the vanilla buttercream frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, or two sticks, at room temperature

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp milk

Directions:

Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe or package instructions in black cupcake liners, I could not find any so I used foil, and allow to cool completely.

Prepare the lollipop sticks and toppers while you’re waiting for the cupcakes to cool. I used the short wood skewers to insert for the spear. For the logos, I printed them out, cut them along the edges. Then the skewers are punched through the logo and that’s it!

For the buttercream frosting, In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the sugar in 1/2 cup increments, beating until well incorporated.

Add vanilla extract and milk and beat for 2 minutes.

Divide the frosting evenly into three bowls and dye one orange, one red, and one yellow. Load a pastry bag with an open-star tip. Use a rubber spatula to pick up as much of the red frosting as possible, then stick the spatula far down the pastry bag, and spread the frosting along that side of the bag. Then use another spatula to load the orange frosting in the next third of the bag. Finally, add the yellow. When you look down into the pastry bag, it should look like a peace sign with three different colors.

To create the flames, apply even pressure as you move the pastry bag from the cupcake up about half an inch, then release. Cover the top of each cupcake with flames.

When the frosting is complete, stick Oreo pieces along the edges of each cupcake. I was able to just attach them by slightly sticking them to the frosting flames, but you could also spread a little extra frosting on the back of each piece to help them stick.

Insert the decorated lollipop sticks at an angle into each cupcake.

These cupcakes were a great idea, oh and not to mention tasty too.

That’s what’s cookin’ this week, check back next week for an all new recipe.