Perfect for a 4th of July get together, this cupcake tower is sure to WOW any crowd.

You will need:

1 large styrofoam cone (at a local craft store) and around 24 3-6″ wooden dowels, plus several toothpicks for the fruit.

5 cups fresh fruit (red strawberries, raspberries and blueberries preferred)

Cupcakes can be baked and frosted as usual, however a more dense cupcake batter will work better for attaching to the tower. Try using a pound cake, chocolate cake or carrot cake for best results. Lightly frost with buttercream or cream cheese frosting using a star tip. The heavier the frosting, the more likely it will not stay connected to the tower as it will be side heavy.

Affix cupcakes to tower by first sticking the wooden dowels firmly into the styrofoam tower. Place them evenly apart, making sure to be able to affix fruit in between each cupcake. Attach cupcakes to wooden dowels by pushing cupcake onto dowel (you may need to cut a small hole in the bottom of the cupcake wrapper (or don’t use any wrappers to avoid this step).

Now poke each strawberry, blueberry or other piece of fruit with a toothpick and push toothpick into styrofoam, in between each cupcake. You can make fruit kabobs as well and place a few pieces of fruit onto each toothpick. Make sure to completely fill up styrofoam tower so there is no syrofoam showing. Add sprigs of fresh mint to complete the look.