Level One: So Easy, Your Husband, I Mean Kid, Could Do It

TEDDY BEAR PICNIC CUPCAKES

Aren't those great? So simple, but perfect. Your preschooler could invite over some friends, have them each bring their teddy bear, and play; have a little picnic with triangular sandwiches and apple wedges; and finish off with these adorable cupcakes. Here's the easy-peasy recipe.

ICE CREAM CONE CUPCAKES

The only difficult thing about these is getting them to stand up. I am convinced that they glue them to the plates in these pictures. (Also, the icing in the picture is probably made of shaving cream or something. You know how sneaky those "food stylists" are.) But making these is simplicity itself. Buy a box of confetti cake mix; prepare and pour into a cupcake pan; and smack an ice cream cone on top. Bake them that way, and the cupcakes puff up to fill the cones. Turn them over, ice them, and they look great! They are also wonderful for toddlers and preschoolers because they are much less messy than a traditional cupcake. Plus, it's super cute to see a bunch of icing-faced kids wandering around in their glory, munching on a cupcake on a cone.


Am I right?

Here's the recipe.

See? Mine wouldn't stand up with any reliability.


Certain partygoers did not seem to mind.


SPIDER CUPCAKES

These are from Nora's third birthday party. Make chocolate cupcakes and frost with chocolate icing; decorate with jimmies. To make the eyes, slice a big marshmallow in half and "glue" an M and M on each half with chocolate icing. The nose is another M & M, and the legs are black licorice whips. These are great for Halloween, too, of course. They look really cute "in person."

WORM IN THE DIRT CUPCAKES

This may be the easiest cupcake recipe ever. Frost a cupcake with chocolate icing. Break a gummy worm in half and stick each half into the frosting. Then, cover with chocolate cookie crumbs or graham cracker crumbs. They actually look SO lifelike that a few of the kids at Nora's party (as well as her daddy) were a little scared to eat them. ;)

FROG CUPCAKES

SO easy. The baker here decided to ice the top of the cupcake in blue so that the frog is "peeking" out of the water. However, I think I'd color the whole cupcake green so that the top of the cupcake is the frog's mouth/face. I think it's less confusing. I know, this is really controversial here. WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?
Now, get ahold of yourself, please.. Here's the recipe.

TIC-TAC-TOE CUPCAKES

Don't you want to host a game party just so you can make these?

Here's the recipe.