They aren't as hard to make as they look. After you make the batter, you take about 1/3 of it and dye it. Then, you put the dyed batter into a small baking dish and bake it just until it can be cut. You don't want to fully cook it. After it is cooked, it needs to cool (very important step). When it is cool, take a cookie cutter and cut out your shape. Then, place the cake in the cupcake pan (stand it up...pointy end of the heart touching the bottom of the pan) and fill the rest of the cup with the uncooked batter. It may take 4 hands to do. Josh helped me. Bake as you normally would. Since you have to rebake the dyed cake batter, that is why you don't want to fully cook it the first time. It may dry out the center.
Now, you need to remember which direction you put the shape inside the cupcake so that when they are cut or eaten you will see the intended shape not a blob of colored cake. That is why my icing is in the shape of a heart, which doesn't look that great. On these cupcakes, they will have to take a bite from the top or the bottom of the heart in order to see the shape.
I must try other shapes. I bought 3 cookie cutters - heart, cross, and a mini cupcake. I tried the cross but, it was too flimsy. I didnt' try the cupcake because I didn't think people would know what it was. Maybe next time. :)
