Cupcake Cake "Lamb"

Ingredients:

• 450 g butter
• 0.9 kg powdered sugar
• A pinch of fine salt
• 24 Devil's Food cupcake
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 2-3 tsp almond extract
• Green food coloring
• 5 skeins of licorice rope

Preparation:

1. Using a mixer on low speed, beat the butter, sugar, and salt until just combined. Add the milk and almond extract, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until light and fluffy. Set aside 3/4 cup frosting. Take 1 cup frosting and add 8-10 drops of green food coloring to create the grass color; set aside. Fill a pastry bag or zip-lock plastic bag with the remaining frosting and snip off a 1-inch corner.
2. Make the torsoPlace 5 cupcakes in a row. Place 4 more cupcakes above and below them in rows, touching each other to form an oval shape. Pipe a spiral of frosting from a bag onto each cupcake. Then pipe smaller spirals to fill the space between the cupcakes.
3. Make a headPlace 3 cupcakes together to form an inverted triangle. Spread 1/2 cup of the reserved white frosting over all the cupcakes.
4. To make earsCut 1 cupcake in half, including the paper liners. Press each half, cut side down, onto the bottom of the triangle. Top with 0.5 tablespoons of white frosting. Cut 1 licorice ball in half and place it, cut side down, on each cupcake half. Then pipe small mounds all over the top third of the head and along the outer edge of the licorice ears. Press the head onto the body.
5. To make a faceCut a 7.5 cm (3 in) strip of licorice. Divide it into two ropes and cut them into 2.5 cm (1 in) pieces. Place two pieces on the head to create eyes. Connect the three pieces into a Y shape and position them so that the bottom point is centered at the bottom edge of the head. The last piece is not needed.
6. Make legsPlace two cupcakes in the first and third spaces of the bottom row of the body. Frost each cupcake. Cover each leg with a skein of licorice. Cut another skein in half and place it underneath the whole skeins to create hooves.
7. Make grassPlace the remaining 5 cupcakes in a horizontal row beneath the feet. Spread green frosting evenly over the top, covering and sealing all the cupcakes. Then, fill the garlic press with the remaining green frosting. It's easiest to work with room temperature frosting. Press it onto each cupcake, lifting it upward to create a grass-like appearance. Repeat this process with the remaining frosting until all the bottom cupcakes are covered.