Creative Ideas for Cupcakes: Crabs

Crabs and cupcakes don't always go hand in hand, but with a little imagination and a squirt or two of icing, bakers can get creative with crab-themed cupcakes. Whether repackaging the traditional crab cake into a smaller, bite-sized appetizer to planning a SpongeBob-themed birthday party complete with Mr. Krabs, crab-themed cupcakes are creative additions to any social event or party. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Fondant Crabs

Apply vanilla frosting to baked cupcakes. Sprinkle each cupcake with crushed vanilla wafer crumbs to resemble sand. Roll out a ball of red fondant 1 inch in diameter to form a sand crab's head, and slice six strips, about 1/2 inch in diameter, to form the claws. Shape the fondant into the head and claws and place on the cupcake. Squeeze two dollops of white icing, each topped with a speck of black icing or a mini chocolate chip, on the head to form the crab's eyes.

Crab Cakes

Substitute sweet with savory by serving crab cakes in paper cupcake molds. Form the crab cakes into small balls and bake inside the cupcake molds. Substitute tartar or Hollandaise sauce for icing, smearing the sauce over the top of the miniature crab cake. Garnish with pimentos or cherry tomatoes.

Peekaboo Crabs

Mix a red velvet cake recipe and pour into cupcake pans. Bake and cool. Squirt two dollops of white icing on each cupcake, topped with a mini-chocolate chip, for the eyes. Place the cupcakes into a 2-inch-deep serving dish, with 1 to 2 inches of space between each cupcake. Fill the spaces with cornflakes to resemble sand. Squeeze a thick line of blue icing around the edges of the serving dish to represent water.

The Krusty Krab

Delight young cupcake eaters with a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed dessert referencing the Krusty Krab, the local diner owned my Mr. Krabs in the hit Nickelodeon kid's show. Ice cupcakes with yellow or white frosting to form the sea floor. Garnish with Swedish fish and blue sprinkles, as well as a few pretzel sticks to resemble drift wood. Plant a toothpick into the cupcake with a homemade flag labeled as "The Krusty Krab." Children can follow their imaginations to the diner itself.