My grand plans for cooking over the weekend (in general, and for today’s post) were thwarted by some vicious super-virus that has had me knocked flat on my back all weekend. My husband was a trooper and has been nursing me back to health, while keeping the house clean, the kiddos out of my bed, and even cooking a fabulous Easter dinner for our company while I stayed quarantined. I didn’t even realize the date until Kate mentioned April Fool’s, so I thought I’d re-share this popular post. Even with short notice, if you do what I do below and grab some unfrosted cupcakes from your local grocery store bakery, these are easy enough to pull off last minute. Happy April, everyone!
While I often find myself watching re-runs of Punk’d during my afternoon workouts (seriously, I have a million channels- why is there nothing on at 2pm??) and giggling while some celebrity has an epic meltdown watching their priceless custom made Bentley being destroyed, I’m actually not a huge fan of pranks in my own life. So you won’t find me planning any elaborate jokes on April 1st. Since my kids are young (6, 3, and 1 1/2) we find it more fun to make April Fools a day of full-fledged silliness. A day to be goofy, a day to be random, and a day to do things out of the ordinary. These silly cupcakes are right up our ally. I saw all of the ideas in the fun book Hello Cupcake.
First, a little trick. Not as in April Fools trick, but as in sneaky-time-saving-I-don’t-want-to-bake-or-do-dishes-right-now trick. I’ve told you before, but I’ll remind you again! Sometimes I care about having perfectly wonderful homemade cupcakes. Other times it doesn’t matter so much. And while I want them to taste good, I’m really wanting something quick and easy. Easier than even making a box mix myself. That’s when I head to the grocery store bakery and ask for un-frosted, plain cupcakes. They always look perfect, they’re uniform size, and they actually taste pretty good too.
They won’t usually have them out for sale, but I’ve found at just about every bakery (sometimes you need to find the bakery manager) they’re more than happy to grab some for you and put a price-tag on them. I actually keep these in my freezer for when I need to do blog posts like this!
First up- Spaghetti and Meatballs! While you can obviously tell these are cupcakes,when you plate a whole bunch of them together on a platter they really do look like spaghetti!
You just need a small round tip on your piping bag (or simply a large zip-lock with the end cut off) and honestly just by squeezing and holding the bag in one spot, the noodles form by themselves that way. I just held the tip above the cupcake and moved the cupcake around with my hand until the top was covered. It only took a few seconds. I honestly though it was so cool I wanted to video it. Who knew you could make perfect noodles that way?
And those meatballs? One of my favorite treats- Ferrero Rocher (find them in the candy isle at the grocery store).
Mmmm just dunk them in a little berry jam. Warm up the jam and use a whisk to get is smooth and you can always add a little hot water if you need it for consistency. The “Parmesan” on top is just some white chocolate grated with a cheese grater. I actually used a piece of almond bark since I had some in my pantry.
Next up- Peas and Carrots. Honestly, I didn’t expect these next ones to look so real. They totally fooled my kids! The foil cupcake pan definitely helps. For the peas just use green Runts, and the carrots are orange Starburst, chopped in quarters. Green frosting underneath makes it so the cupcake doesn’t show through.
And the Mashed Potatoes! I think these were my favorite out of all of them. Use vanilla frosting and leave a little bit of a well at the top. Add a drizzle of caramel syrup and a flattened out Starburst (Laffy Taffy also works great) and you’re set. My kiddos thought these were hilarious.
I included these Popcorn Cupcakes just because I think they’re super cute 🙂 They’d be really fun for a movie night/party – even in mini cupcake size.
I used the pale yellow marshmallows from the fruit flavored bag, but white would work great too. You can see below how easy it is to make the kernels. Just snip a few marshmallows into 3 pieces and then “glue” a regular marshmallow on top.
Lastly- this has summer BBQ party written all over it! Frost 3 cupcakes with pale yellow frosting and use Jelly Bellies for the corn. You could use a few shades of yellow and white, but works best is the buttered popcorn flavor. I realize that 98% of the world detests that flavor, but it happens to be my favorite. Take that, haters! Top it with a Laffy Taffy or Starburst pat of butter (or um, real butter if your children eat all of the yellow starburst you tell them specifically to leave on the counter where you set them…) and black and clear sugar sprinkles for the salt and pepper.
Hope that gives you some silly ideas to play around with on April Fools! Do any of you have any fun traditions?? I think this year I’m going to do a goofy dinner game where we eat funny food with random utensils or something. Do share if you have fun ideas!
Questions & Reviews
The best is to tape or put a rubber band on the kitchen sink sprayer. Then, when someone turns on the faucet they get sprayed.I did that one year for my family but unfortunately it was my mother-in-law who got sprayed! She was a very good sport about it.
One is idea is a mystery dinner. At a youth group party I once went to they had a mystery dinner for us…you get a menu with just garble on it, like “yaori mysticeti” etc. and get to pick what to order. All of the dishes were just completely random foods, like a hamburger without a bun, chocolate ice cream, and jelly on crackers (the plate I got!) And it was served with a fork! Just a suggestion, it might be fun 🙂
If you don’t want to buy starbursts for the pats of butter….
My hubbie served his mission in Boise, ID, and the mission presidents wife would make the missionaries coming in and leaving a big Ice Cream Baked Potato. So when he got asked to help with a mini-MTC, I of course had to learn how to make them. Use plastic wrap to shape vanilla ice cream into a potato shape. Use your fingers to create a wedge in the the top of the “potato.” Refreeze until it’s hard. Then roll in chocolate milk drink powder. Right before serving, fill the wedge with whipped cream (Your sour cream look-alike) (Canned spray cream is easiest here). Top with chopped pistachios for your chives (I actually mixed them with a little green food coloring) and your pat of butter is made like this: Line a butter dish, or any other container that’s about the right size, with plastic wrap. Fill with yellow frosting…really smoosh it down so it goes all the way to the edges. Freeze. Remove plastic wrap with frosting from dish. Slice up and place on top. Ymmmm. Awesome. If you wanted you could probably used orange colored coconut for cheese topping as well. Cheers!
Buttered popcorn jelly bean is my favourite too! It’s okay because then no one else will eat it and it’s all for me!
Had to post on my blog! Thanks for the inspiration….you rock!
Check out my photos here: http://www.stampshacklady.com/2011/04/april-fools-cupcakes.html
love these ideas, just wanted to add a little for someone who might want to try it- I made a full size marshmallow ‘popcorn’ cake several years ago, but before i put the marshmallows on, I put a few drop of random food color(to make brown) in a gallon ziplock with a few drops of water to thin it (close the bag with no air inside and smush the food color around the bag) drop in like 10 biggies or 25 minis, close the bag and shake. this makes the ‘popcorn’ look toasted. you could repeat this with just yellow (in a clean bag) for added ‘butter’ it’s way cute.
I am truly inspired now, love love love these cupcakes – and plan to make the “spaghetti and meatballs” soon. Thanks! 🙂
Love these! So cute and real looking! I especially like the corn on the cob. And Buttered Popcorn is my favorite Jelly Belly flavor -so you’re not alone there. 🙂 Keep the wonderful ideas coming!!!
Smiths in Utah (Farmington) has salt water taffy made by Sweets, I think, that has a buttered popcorn flavor. It is quite delish.
My fav were the mashed potateo one’s. 🙂
This post totally inspired me! I am usually a complete party pooper about April Fools and I DO NOT enjoy practical jokes but my oldest daughter and I had a great time surprising my husband and seven other children with a wonderful April Fools Day dinner. We used your idea for peas and carrots and put them in a bowl. We made “mashed potatoes” from vanilla bean ice cream and “meatloaf” from chocolate rice krispies with butterscotch “gravy”. It all looked pretty real at first glance and the kids were ecstatic to get to eat dessert first. Then we made “cupcakes” that were really meatloaf muffins with pink mashed potato “icing”. Thanks for the inspiration! My kid won’t soon forget how fun Mom was this year!
Thanks for the insperation! I’ve done food April Fools Day jokes for years. I varied your ideas a little and used sugar cookie baked in the pan instead of cupcakes, my kids and hubby loved the fools!
My daughter loved these! We made them for her kindergarten class and they were a hit! Thanks!
My friend had me over for a pasta party- he provided the noodles and everyone brings a sauce. I knew I had to come here to find one of your best, and I ended up making the pumpkin alfredo. Several people chose mine to be the fav (out of 9 awesome sauces). It was truly excellent.
Anyway, the finale of this story is that I surprised everyone by bringing a desert- I used the meatball cupcake idea but made a 9×13 cake. I used lemon cake with cream cheese icing, so the strawberry preserve “meat sauce” really blended well.
Thanks again for two more excellent recipes. You are my go-to when I want something I know will be good.
Buttered popcorn jelly beans are my absolute favorite!
Such cute, fun ideas. I showed my kids all the pictures and there think it is the coolest thing ever. I promised them that next year we would make them. Love your site!
These are hilarious and awesome. Someone made them and posted the photo to Allrecipes.com, and it was featured as only of the daily photos today! Super cute!
Such a cute idea! I copied three of the cupcakes and took a bunch to a little party last night. They were a HIT with the kiddos!
I’ve never commented here before, but I just wanted to thank you for your delicious blog. I’ve made dozens of your dishes and have never been disappointed. I’m so excited that I finally got your cookbook! It came at the end of my pregnancy and my mouth was watering (no exaggeration) at every single picture. Yum!
So fun! We’re having veggies for dessert tonight. 🙂 (The peas and carrots were my favorite. But, I had a hard time tracking down Runts so we went with the green Skittles idea.) Thanks!
I couldn’t find Runts at my grocery store today, but I used green tic-tacs and put them in the frosting tip first and it was brilliant! Thanks for helping me be the fun mom!
Surprised my kiddo’s with the spaghetti ones,peas and carrots and the mash potatoes. Super fun. My local bakery wouldn’t sell me the un-frosted so I delt and bought it anyway and scraped ( uh…ate) the frosting off.
I made these for my book club. Some of the ladies were in love with them, others didn’t know what to say and looked like they were going to throw up. Either way, people now think I have too much time on my hands and also think that I am awesome!! I couldn’t be awesome without you two!!!! Thanks for sharing all your great ideas with us.
I made them, and took them to work and everyone went crazy! They were a hit, with people coming from all ends of the building to see them! Thank you for the wonderful idea for celebrating April Fool’s Day 🙂
Thank you for such a cute idea! I totally copied you and posted on my blog. I linked you to it!!!! 🙂
My boys and I had a blast making the mashed potato, carrots and peas, and spaghetti cupcakes. I couldn’t find Runts for the peas but green Skittles worked just as well. It sure makes a great table centerpiece and delicious treat. Thank you!
We just did these cupcakes along with Chinese Takeout ones for school tomorrow. So much fun. Thanks for the post. PS Love you blog and your cookbook. I have made so many things from both.
Just finished making the “Meatball Cupcakes” for April Fool’s Day treat for work tomorrow. They turned out just like the pictures and were so easy! I LOVE them and can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks. Thank you for the recipe.
P.S. I have tried to find your cookbook at several stores in my area (Sacramento/Roseville, CA) and NO one has them.:-( Any ideas of who might have in my neighborhood??
P.S.S. Wish I could have attached picture of the finished product!! hehe
I’m just getting my peas and carrots ready for tomorrow! I found Wonka’s Mini-Chewy Sweet Tarts that look just like peas and are softer for little mouths than runts…So excited to surprise my kids. THANKS!
SOOO very cute!!
My daughter’s birthday is on April 1st – can’t wait to make these for her birthday party tomorrow!