Easy Cupcakes

Mmmm… What could be more delicious than a chocolate monkey cupcake? Certainly not monkey brains; that’s gross. Seriously, though, kids can easily make these pretty primates.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; chocolate frosting; black writing icing; 2 chocolate candy “melts”; 2 brown mini M&Ms or other brown candy such as Raisinettes; chocolate sprinkles.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Position chocolate melts as ears on left and right side. Sprinkle chocolate jimmies near top for “hair.” Using writing icing in a tube to draw nostrils and mouth. Add chocolate eyes.

These monkey cupcakes sport big ears, but they sure are tasty.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; chocolate frosting; Nilla wafer; blue M&Ms; food-safe pen; red writing icing; 1 Nutter Butter cookie; knife.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Cut Nutter Butter in half. Cut off 1/2 of Nilla wafer. Use food-safe pen to draw two nostrils near flat edge of Nilla wafer. Use red gel or writing icing to draw mouth and place on cupcake. Add M&M eyes. Add half of Nilla wafer to each side of face for ears.

I made several dozen monkey cupcakes for my son’s first birthday party three years ago. They come together very fast; the hardest part is cutting the Nilla wafers in half, but even that’s not so bad.

What You Need: 1 cupcake; chocolate frosting; Nilla wafers; blue M&Ms; Necco wafers (I used black but I think pink is a little cuter); black and red writing icing or gel (or icing in pastry bag or plastic bag); knife.

How to Make It: Frost cupcake. Use butter knife or other tool to cut Nilla wafer in half for muzzle. Before placing it on the cupcake, pipe red mouth and black nostrils. Place on cupcake. Add 2 blue M&Ms, M side down, for eyes. Insert Necco wafers at an angle for ears.