Satisfy your sweet tooth and create family fun, via these springtime recipes for Easter Basket Cupcakes and Easter Egg Cake Bites.

Kids will be all smiles when you let them choose frosting colors and create candy “basket handles,” for lip-smacking treats they’ll be proud to serve.

Easter Basket Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

24 sugar ice cream cones

1 package (2-layer size) white cake mix

1 teaspoon yellow food color

1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

1 container (16 ounces) vanilla frosting

Assorted food colors

24 pieces red string licorice, 4-inch lengths

1 cup flaked coconut

72 jelly beans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Trim off the bottom 2 to 3 inches of the ice cream cones. Wrap bottom of cones in small pieces of greased foil. Place cones in muffin pans sprayed with no-stick cooking spray. (Cones should be slightly taller than muffin cups.) Set aside.

Prepare cake mix as directed on package, adding yellow food color and lemon extract. Pour batter into cones. Bake as directed on package for cupcakes. Cool cupcakes on wire rack. Remove any excess cake from bottom of cones.

Tint frosting with desired food colors. Frost cupcakes. Attached string licorice for the basket handles. Decorate cupcakes with coconut and jelly beans.

To tint coconut: Place 1/2 cup coconut in resealable plastic bag. Squeeze 2 to 3 drops of desired food color into bag. Shake until color is evenly distributed.

Easter Egg Cake Bites

Yield: 48 cake bites

1 package (2-layer size) white cake mix

2 teaspoons pure lemon extract

Assorted food colors

1 cup marshmallow creme

1 bag (14 ounces) white confectionary coating wafers, or 1 pound white baking chocolate

For decorating glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons water

Assorted food colors

Prepare cake mix as directed on package, adding lemon extract and desired food color. Bake as directed on package for 13×9-inch baking pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Crumble cake into large bowl. Add marshmallow creme; mix until well blended. Shape into 1-inch balls, then roll to form egg shapes. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Melt coating wafers or white chocolate as directed on package. Using a fork, dip 1 cake bite at a time into the confectionary coating or chocolate. Tap back of fork 2 or 3 times against edge of dish to allow excess to drip off. Place cake bites on wax paper-lined tray.

For the decorating glaze, mix confectioners’ sugar and water in small bowl until well blended. Tint with desired food color. Using a fork, drizzle glaze over cake bites. Let stand until glaze is set.

To prepare cake bites in multiple colors: Divide prepared cake batter into 2 or 3 bowls. Tint each batch with desired food color. Pour into muffin pan. Bake as directed on package. Crumble cake into separate bowls. Divide marshmallow creme among bowls. Continue as directed.

Recipes and photos courtesy of McCormick & Company, mccormick.com