You could have fooled me: 3 fun April Fools’ Day desserts

There’s no joking that these desserts are amazingly delicious. You might be fooled to learn how these treats are made!

Sweeten the pot for April Fools’ Day! These three dessert recipes are a fun way to celebrate a day usually reserved for practical jokes. Laugh with your loved ones as you enjoy a tasty April Fools’ Day-themed dessert!

Your family might not immediately know the difference between these cupcakes and corn on the cob! It’s fun and easy to make and decorate cupcakes so they resemble ears of corn, which makes them great for parties or even summer picnics.

Yields 1 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup cold milk
• Paper cupcake liners

For the cupcake decorations

• 1 prepackaged container vanilla frosting (or use this SheKnows frosting recipe to make your own)
• About 2 cups yellow jelly beans (the small kind like Jelly Belly candies). Add a few white jelly beans into the mix, too.
• 4 yellow chewy candy squares, like Starburst candy
• 2-4 drops yellow food color
• Black decorating sugar (optional)
• 8 corn-on-the-cob holders (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl, use a mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, beating well to incorporate.
4. Add the vanilla and mix well.
5. A little at a time, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and blend until incorporated.
6. Add the milk to the mixture, a little at a time, until incorporated and the batter is smooth.
7. Line a 12-count cupcake tin with paper liners, and fill each about 2/3 full of batter.
8. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
9. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them.

To decorate the cupcakes

1. Add 2-4 drops of yellow food color to your frosting and mix well. You’ll want to create a color that is similar to your yellow jelly beans.
2. When the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost them and set them aside.
3. Group the cupcakes in sets of three, and place one set at a time in front of your work area.
4. Line up three cupcakes side by side, horizontally, to mimic an ear of corn. Using the jelly beans, create rows that go across all three cupcakes, by placing one jelly bean at a time into each frosted cupcake. These will form the rows of “kernels.” Mix in a few white jelly beans every now and then.
5. When finished, unwrap one of the yellow chew candies and microwave it for about 5 seconds, just to soften it slightly. Keep the candy in a square shape, but rub the edges to soften and round them to resemble a pat of butter, and place it on top of the middle cupcake.
6. If you’re using black decorating sugar, sprinkle a little over the three cupcakes to look like pepper and insert one corn-on-the-cob holder into each end of the “corn cob.”
7. Repeat until all 12 cupcakes are decorated.

This is a traditional English dessert, but the name takes the cake for April Fools’ Day! It’s no joke that this dessert is simple, elegant and, most importantly, delicious! You can use your favorite berries to create this divine treat.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen raspberries, slightly thawed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 8 ounces heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur like Chambord (optional)
• Mint sprigs and slivered almonds for garnish

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the raspberries, sugar, and liqueur, if using. Use the back of a spoon to slightly mash the raspberries and mix the ingredients together. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add the heavy whipping cream. Using a hand mixer, blend the cream until it begins to stiffen and form peaks.
3. Gently fold the raspberry mixture into the cream mixture and mix well.
4. Serve in martini glasses or bowls and garnish each serving with a few slivered almonds and a sprig of mint.

Avocados in ice cream? Looks can be deceiving, but no fooling, it’s delicious. And you don’t even need an ice cream maker! This recipe makes ice cream with a softer consistency, similar to gelato, but here’s a neat option: If you prefer pudding, serve this up immediately after blending it, when it has a smooth, thick consistency. Otherwise, for more of an icy treat, freeze it for 6-8 hours before serving. Enjoy garnished with whipped topping and shaved chocolate.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1/2 large, ripe banana
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4-5 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• Whipped topping and shaved chocolate for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Add the avocados, banana and honey to a blender, and blend until smooth.
2. Add the cocoa powder to the milk, and add to the blender. Blend so all the ingredients are combined and smooth. You may need to stop the blender and use a rubber spatula to push the mixture down from the sides of the blender to the bottom, then continue blending.
3. Remove from the blender, place in a container, cover it and freeze for 6-8 hours.
4. Scoop the ice cream into individual bowls, garnish and serve.

These desserts won’t fool anyone — they’re delicious!

More dessert recipes

Mini cherry pies
Avocado cheesecake tart
S’mores French macarons