Fall is a beautiful season and my personal favorite. I was inspired by the falling leaves and the bright orange pumpkins to create this sweet and spooky pumpkin patch. This How-To will show you how to turn plain cupcakes into a plentiful pumpkin patch and get you to think less of the beaches and hot sun, and more about the chilly rain, fuzzy sweaters, and Halloween's spooky ghosts. Enjoy!

Step 1: Step 1: Ingredients

Here are the materials you will need for your pumpkins:

-12 vanilla cupcakes
-A Thick piping tip
-2 cans vanilla frosting
-Yellow and red food coloring
-Green icing (thin tip preferred)
-Piping bag prepped with coupler and thick tip
-12 mini doughnuts (frosted, glazed, chocolate, or plain)
-Orange, black, and green sprinkles (if you would like to embellish)

Step 2: Step 2: Prep Your Frosting

It's time to get your frosting ready. First, in a large bowl, scoop in both can of frosting. Stir a bit until the consistency is exactly how you want it. Now we're going to dye it. The color is never going to be exactly the same in every batch, but you are only going to make one batch. I started by putting a few drops of each color in the frosting. Obviously, by the looks of the second picture, that didn't work too well. It took me a while to figure out the exact shade of orange I wanted, and I came to this vibrant neon orange that gave some color. It's up to you choose your favorite shade, so just have fun! Now that the frosting is colored, you can scoop about half of into your piping bag, but depending on how big your piping bag is you may have to out in more or less. Refill bag as needed. Twist the end of the bag, and put it in the fridge until you are ready for Step 4.

Step 3: Step 3: Begin to Frost

For the frosting in this step, you will not need your piping bag. What you are going to do is dirty ice the surface of the cupcake. Dirty icing is basically putting a small layer of frosting all around the cupcake. Take a small knife and apply a little bit if frosting to the cupcake. Smooth it around until all of the surface is covered. Do this with all 12 cupcakes. The surface of the cupcake is going to be grass, and though the frosting will show through the sprinkle grass, it adds a bit of color.

Step 4: Step 4: Rolling in Grass

Now that all your cupcakes have been dirty iced, it's time to apply the sprinkles. The sprinkles are going to be grass, so use the green sprinkles. You need a large bowl for this because you are going to roll the cupcake, and you'll need a wide surface. Pour a good amount of sprinkles, maybe even the whole container, into your bowl. Take a cupcake and gently roll the top around in the bowl, checking to make sure it's completely covered. Swivel the cupcake top around in circles until the top is completely covered in sprinkles. Do this with all cupcakes. If you would like a spookier effect, use black or purple sprinkles for the surface, to give a Halloween look.

Step 5: Step 5: Time for Doughnuts

You have reached the step where you get to use mini doughnuts. For this step, I recommend using your piping bag, but you can also just use the dirty ice technique. Take a mini doughnut and pipe or ice a circle around the bottom. Do this with all 12 doughnuts and then pop those suckers right on top of your cupcake. You can chill your cupcakes with the doughnuts for about 15 minutes in the freezer if you would like, to make sure it sticks, but it is not a requirement.

Step 6: Step 6: Your Pumpkin

It's time to create your pumpkins! For this step, you will need your piping bag, tootsie rolls, scissors, and green icing. Start by making lines from the hole of your doughnut to the bottom of your doughnut. Do this all around you doughnut and do your best to balance the amount of frosting you apply. Now, take your Tootsie Roll and cut it in half. Roll it between your hands and make it look more like a stub. Put your Tootsie Roll stub in the hole of your doughnut, being careful not to apply too much pressure. This next part is optional, but adds a very nice touch. You may use your green icing to create vines over your pumpkin and make it feel more like a pumpkin patch. Just follow your bakers' instinct.

Step 7: Step 7: Final Touches... Enjoy!

Your pumpkin has grown and flourished, and it has taken on a fall and Halloween feel. You may add finishing touches, like adding a few orange sprinkles on the pumpkin, creating little marshmallow ghosts, or you could use any extra cupcakes as vine patches. The vine patches follow up to step 4 where you cover the top with sprinkles, but then just get s covered in icing vines. Display your pumpkin patch for a party or friends, or just enjoy them right away! Happy Halloween and be sure to visit the Pumpkin Patch!