Spaghetti and Meatballs Cake

No this isn't what it sounds like.  I may like trying different food combinations, but I would NEVER put meatballs on a cake! 

This is instead a delicious cake topped with what LOOKS LIKE spaghetti and meatballs.  Perfect for an Italian themed dinner, or in my case April Fools Day for 27 4th graders!  :)

This was orginally a Food Network recipe, but I modified it, one- because I had to feed 27 fourth graders (plus teachers because you KNOW the rumor  of free food at a school flies faster than Superman), two-because I love to doctor things up!

This makes 1 layered cake, and one plain chocolate cake

• 2 boxes chocolate cake mix (2 layer kind)  (plus ingredients necessary)
• 16 oz cream cheese-room temp
• 1 1/2 sticks butter-room temp
• 1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
• tub of Lite or Fat Free Cool Whip
• 1/2 cup Nutella, seperated
• 1 carton fresh strawberries
• 1 bag frozen strawberries (or raspberries)-thawed
• 2 tsps vanilla
• 2-4 drops yellow food coloring

1. Make both boxes of cake mix, cool completely
2. Microwave 1/4 cup Nutella for about 15 seconds, just until it is slightly soft-not hot
3. Fold Nutella into Cool Whip container, spread onto one layer of chocolate cake
4. Slice fresh strawberries, layer on top of Cool Whip mixture
5. Top with 2nd layer of cake
6. Mix cream cheese and butter on high speed until combined and very soft (NO lumps!)
7. Add in vanilla, blend
8. Slowly add 1 cup of powdered sugar, adding the remaining amount in small increments until you achieve desired sweetness
9. Frost top and sides of cake (I spread a very thin "crumb coat", then refridgerated the cake for 15-20 minutes while I cleaned up before frosting the rest) 
10. Frost 3rd cake layer (for people who just like plain chocolate cake) There WILL be frosting left over!
11. Crumble remaining cake in bowl, mix with remaining Nutella
12. Roll into 5 balls (you may need to squeeze a bit)
13. Roll each ball in the remaining cake crumbs to get a coating on the outside (this makes them look more "meatball-like"
14. Place the meatballs on the cake-3 on the layered cake, 2 on the plain cake
15. Tint the remaining frosting with the food coloring until it is a pale yellow
16. Transfer to piping bag with round tip or Ziploc bag with corner snipped
17. Pipe in figure-8 motions around the meatballs  on both cakes to look like spaghetti
18. Empty the thawed berries into the food processor (or blender) and whir until only a few small chunks remain
19. Spoon the "sauce" over the "meatballs" and let it drip down the "spaghetti" free form  (if not serving cake right away-wait to do this until right before serving)
20. Serve cake with leftover sauce