This Meatloaf Cake Recipe Is the Ultimate April Fools’ Day Prank
Another year, another April Fools’ Day! I’ll admit — I’m a *terrible* liar and, therefore, not the best prankster. This year, however, I want to join in the April Fools’ fun! I’m always impressed by people’s creative pranks, but I wanted to revisit a classic April Fools’ Day joke: a meatloaf cake frosted with mashed potatoes. Done correctly, it’ll look like an unassuming vanilla cake, but on the inside is hearty meat and potatoes. At this point you might be weirded out, but trust me — it tasted great and was a huge hit around the B+C office.
Not only did the meatloafmashed potato cake taste good, but it also made people laugh and actually fooled some of them. I even heard that a vegetarian thought it was real cake and accidentally took a bite! Ready to learn how to make the tastiest April Fools’ Day prank ever? Read on!
Meatloaf Recipe
This recipe makes three nine-inch “cake” layers. I ended up only using two out of my three layers, so if you just want to make two layers, adjust the recipe accordingly.
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds ground beef
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ onions, chopped
- 2 cups milk
- 3 cups dried bread crumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Mix together all the ingredients.
2. Press mixture into three greased nine-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.
Mix together all the ingredients. Don’t be afraid to get your hands in there!
Press mixture into three greased nine-inch cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes. While your meatloaf “cake” layers are baking, get started on the mashed potato “frosting.”
Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds potatoes
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup milk
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Peel potatoes and cut into quarters. Boil potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
2. Add butter and milk to potatoes and mash with a potato masher or whisk. Add salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.
Peel potatoes and cut into quarters. Boil potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
Add butter and milk to potatoes and mash with a potato masher or whisk. Add salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.
Assembling Your Cake
Carefully remove your first meatloaf layer from the pan. Frost the top generously with mashed potatoes. Place the second meatloaf layer on the mashed potatoes and frost with more potatoes. If you want to use three layers of meatloaf, add your third layer.
Frost the sides of the cake.
Amazingly, I had an easier time frosting meat with potatoes than I’ve had frosting real cakes with real frosting. It’s really easy to get crisp edges with mashed potatoes.
Decorate your cake with peas and carrot “sprinkles.”
Don’t forget a cute cake topper!
Ooh, is this a delicious sweet vanilla cake?
Nope! It’s a meatloaf and mashed potato cake!
Not gonna lie — it was really, really tasty. How can you go wrong with meat and potatoes?
Happy April Fools’ Day!
What other pranks are you planning for April Fools’ Day? Share your photos on Instagram using #britstagram, and follow us on Pinterest for more recipe inspo.
DIY Production + Styling: Irene Lee
Photography: Brittany Griffin
