This post about birthday cupcakes has nothing to do with living on a budget, except my sister who made the cupcakes adapted the directions that both of us saw in a magazine to the candy and ingredients she found at a good price.

It’s tiny cupcakes designed like pieces of sushi. My sister cut out pound cake circles with a shotglass, frosted them with white icing, used crushed white chocolate chips for the rice (original recipe called for shredded coconut), wrapped the cake slices in fruit roll-ups, and found appropriate candies for the toppings (some of which are mini M&Ms.)

Who was honored with this design? My daughter turned 19 today.

A brother-in-law who didn’t know what was up saw the pan in the refrigerator and thought it was real sushi, which he loves! But it’s just cake, frosting and candy.

Leftover pieces of pound cake became strawberry shortcake ingredients as an alternate dessert at our family party.