april fools' day

It’s a proven fact that little kids find April Fools’ Day hilarious.

OK, well, it’s a proven fact that my kids find April Fools’ Day hilarious. They love trying to try and trick us by waking us up to tell is it’s snowing outside (not a possibility in LA) or that they got kicked out of third grade or something equally ridiculous. But when you’re nine and seven, these are the jokes you can come up with. So this year, to encourage a bit of mischief we created April Fools’ Day Cupcakes. These cupcakes really are a delicious dessert… even if they look like spaghetti and meatballs. You totally need to make this for your friends, or your kids or your office. 

how to make spaghetti and meatball cupcakes

Start by making the yellow cake according to the box’s directions. Feel free to use whatever cake flavor you’d like!

store bought cake mix recipes

Line a cupcake tin with paper liners and then scoop the batter into each, using a large ice cream scoop. This will ensure they’re all the same size. 

easy cupcake recipes

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. 

baked cupcakes

Once the April fools’ day cupcakes are completely cooled, it’s time to frost them. Pour the store bought buttercream frosting into a disposable pastry bag, fitted with a small plain circle tip. You could also do this with a plastic sandwich bag and just snip off the end. Pipe out the frosting into squiggly noodles. 

piping frosting on cupcake

Continue to do this until all the cupcakes have been frosted on top with the “spaghetti.” Allow the frosting to set a bit at room temperature for about 15 minutes or in the fridge for about 5 minutes.

completed spaghetti cupcakes

Then unwrap the hazelnut chocolate (Ferrero Rocher is a great one to use) and dip each chocolate ball into a bowl of strawberry ice cream topping. Allow the excess to drip off a bit and then place in the center of each cupcake. 

chocolate meatballs on cupcakes

To finish these April fools’ day cupcakes off, it’s important to add that parmesan on top. Where using white chocolate to act as our cheese. So grate some white chocolate on top of each. 

joke cupcakes for kids

You can store these in the fridge until ready to use. Make them a day in advance! 

cupcake recipes

April Fools' Day Cupcakes
Yields 14
Celebrate April 1st with these adorable April Fools' Day Cupcakes! You'll make people believe that they're really made with spaghetti and meatballs!
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Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 yellow box cake mix
  2. 3 large eggs
  3. 1 cup water
  4. 1/2 cup oil
  5. 1 (16-ounce) tub buttercream frosting
  6. 14 hazelnut chocolates (Ferrero Rocher chocolates)
  7. 1/2 cup strawberry ice cream topping
  8. 2 ounces white chocolate bar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, eggs, water and oil until evenly combined and lump free. Scoop out the batter onto the prepared cupcake tin. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
  3. Pour the frosting into a disposable piping bag, fitted with a small plain circle tip, or a large sandwich bag, with the end snipped off. Pipe out the frosting into squiggly noodle shapes onto each cupcake, using a swirling motion. Let sit for about 15 minutes to set.
  4. Dip each chocolate ball into the strawberry topping and let the excess drip off. Place on the center of each cupcake. Grate a bit of white chocolate on top of each and serve.
Rachel Hollis https://msrachelhollis.com/