April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”

April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 20m
Cook Time: 25m
Total Time: 45m
Temp.: 375 °F
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
4.9 (33 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

Nutritional Information

386
сalories
15,1g
fat
31,2g
carbohydrates
29,9g
protein
147,4mg
cholesterol
1404,3mg
sodium
April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”

Recipe Description

You can bet I made this April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake” for my office colleagues on April Fool’s Day. I always love a good prank and this “cake” delivered that. Presented what looks like a beautiful carrot cake with a vanilla cream cheese frosting is actually a delicious, homemade meatloaf wrapped in smooth mashed potatoes and decorated with cherry tomatoes. This meatloaf is so good, it’s no joke!

To make April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”

Recipe Features

No specific features for this recipe

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Preheat oven

    5 min

    Preheat the oven to 375 °F.

  2. 2

    Combine meatloaf ingredients

    3 min
    Step 2 - April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”

    In a large bowl, mix 2 pounds of ground beef, 3 large eggs, 1 cup of bread crumbs, ⅔ cup of sliced green onions, ½ cup of milk, ½ cup of freshly chopped parsley, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper until all well combined.

  3. 3

    Bake

    25 min
    Step 3 - April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”

    Transfer the mixture and divide between two 8-inch round cake pans, spreading evenly over the top to level them out. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until juices run clear when meat is pierced with a fork, or a food thermometer reaches a heat of 170 °F.

  4. 4

    Rest

    10 min
    Step 4 - April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”

    Remove pans from the oven; cover loosely with aluminum foil and set aside for 10 minutes to rest.

  5. 5

    Prepare meatloaf cake

    2 min
    Step 5 - April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”Step 5 - April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”Step 5 - April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”

    Discard juice from the pans and invert 1 meatloaf onto a serving plate and evenly cover the top with a layer of trimmed roasted red peppers then invert the second meatloaf and place on top of the red peppers.

  6. 6

    Add mashed potatoes

    4 min
    Step 6 - April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”Step 6 - April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”

    Use a spatula to spread about 2½ cups of the warm mashed potatoes, evenly, all over the top of the meat loaf and up the sides. Spoon the remaining mashed potatoes into a piping bag and decorate the top of your “cake” with twirls and swirls. Pipe a few stars around the sides too.

  7. 7

    Add cherry tomatoes

    1 min
    Step 7 - April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”

    Place 8 cherry tomatoes, stem-ends down, in a circle around top of meatloaf to resemble cherries on top of a cake.

  8. 8

    Serve

    Step 8 - April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake”

    Cut wedge-like cake slices and serve immediately.

Besides providing a good giggle, this April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake” is one of my favorite meatloaf recipes. Even if it’s not April Fool’s Day you should make this for your families, they’ll love it! Share everyone’s reactions with us and tag us online with #cookmerecipes.

About the author

Lilly Mathuse

Lilly is an enthusiastic and cheerful young mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Lilly's going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
4.9 out of 5 (33 reviews)
Amy
May 19, 2025
Verified

This meatloaf cake was a total hit at the office! Everyone was super surprised and loved it. Can't wait to make it again for the fam. So funny!

Wendy
March 10, 2025
Verified

So much fun!

Hannah Smith
October 12, 2024
Verified

Absolutely delicious cake!

Yale Turner
June 19, 2024
Verified

Best meatloaf ever.

Xanthe Williams
April 29, 2024
Verified

I made the April Fool’s Day Meatloaf “Cake” for my colleagues and it was simply great! They were in stitches when they realised it was meatloaf. I loved how easy it was to prepare, and the flavours were fantastic. It brought a bit of fun to our office celebrations.

Hannah
April 15, 2024
Verified

Simply the best!

Zoe
October 20, 2023
Verified

I made this meatloaf 'cake' for April Fool's, and my kids loved it. Their faces were priceless when they cut into it. So good!

Hannah
October 10, 2023
Verified

OMG, this Meatloaf 'Cake' is the best prank ever! Made it for my coworkers on April Fool's Day, and they totally fell for it. Super easy to whip up and tasted great!

Gabby
September 21, 2023
Verified

Made this for my coworkers, pure gold!

Zoe
April 1, 2023
Verified

I made this meatloaf 'cake' for my kids on April Fool's and they were totally fooled. It looked just like a real cake. Super fun and delicious, the combo of flavors was spot on. I’m def doing this again next year for my fam.

Wendy
March 13, 2023
Verified

I made this meatloaf cake for April Fool’s and my coworkers totally fell for it! Everyone was laughing and surprised. The flavors were on point and the mashed potatoes looked so fancy. Gotta say this was a fun twist on meatloaf. Thanks for sharing such a creative recipe

Xander
January 24, 2023
Verified

Superb surprise cake! Everyone loved the twist. I brought it to the office and it was a hit! Perfect for April Fool’s. The kids thought it was real cake too, such a fun moment.

Tina Harper
January 14, 2023
Verified

Delicious!

Cathy
March 30, 2022
Verified

Superb

Quico
September 16, 2021
Verified

Hice este pastel de carne el 1 de abril para mis compañeros de trabajo. Todos se sorprendieron por lo que parecía un pastel de zanahoria. ¡Fue un éxito total! Es simple y delicioso. El toque de puré es genial.

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