Reader Recipe: Frozen Fruit Loaf

Folks, we made it to the second recipe of the third week of Caker Cooking Reader Recipe Month. Are you still with me? [insert cricket FX]

Today’s recipe comes from Morag, who sent me the recipe for Frozen Fruit Loaf from 7-Up Goes to a Party! (It appears canned soda is more popular than I am, but I digress.) This recipe comes from the ‘50s, a period of time when our caker ancestors thought soda pop was a miracle liquid. I once caught my grandmother bathing in root beer. She said it was good for her arthritis. Not sure that explains why she polished the furniture with Mountain Dew.

Anyways, I made this and it was okay, although it was cold and made my brain freeze up more than when I’m looking for the hidden images in a Highlights picture. My main complaint was that it was too hard. The only thing worse than fruit is frozen fruit. If you’re going to chip your tooth, I’d sooner do it on a frozen Creamsicle than a frozen grape.

Speaking of grapes, you know how people sometimes see the Virgin Mary in toast? Tell me this doesn’t look like Dilbert. I’m going to sell it on eBay before it mel…Never mind.

Thanks, Morag! Come back Monday for a trip back to It-lee!

1 3-ounce package cream cheese (see note 1)
1 9-ounce can crushed pineapple (see note 2)
1 7-ounce bottle of 7-Up
2 cups diced fresh peaches
1 cup diced seedless grapes
½ cup sugar
½ pint whipping cream (see note 3)
1 ½ cups miniature marshmallows

Soften cream cheese and mix in pineapple. Stir in 7-Up. Sprinkle sugar over peaches and grapes and stir into mixture. Pour into a 2-quart refrigerator dish (see note 4) and freeze until partially thickened. Whip cream until stiff; fold cream and marshmallows into fruit mixture. Free until solid. Makes 8-10 servings.

Note 1: About a 1/3 of a regular package
Note 2: 1 cup
Note 3: I used Cool Whip. Of course.
Note 4: I used a loaf pan.

Source: Caker Morag via 7-Up Goes to a Party!

Reader Recipe: Cherry La

CAKER WORLD PREMIERE!

When it comes to blog commenters, I have some of the finest. Seriously. You’re all awesome. Hearing from fellow cakers puts the “Hello!” into my dolly. Wait, that sounds weird.

Recently, Sara from Wisconsin commented on my Cherry Loaf recipe, confessing that she’d been having dreams about maraschino cherries. (I have them, too, but usually Captain Stubing is involved.) Sara said that there’s a road sign on the way to her sister’s place that reads “Cherry La.” She always thought it sounded like a fabulous dessert. So I said, “Go forth, caker woman, and invent it.”

So she did. And here it is! I've yet to make Sara’s Cherry La, but it reminds me of a snow cone – only without the syrup running down your arm. But a word of caution: you’ll need a zester and strong wrists to scrape the ice. (Two strikes for me.) Sara, I’m going to spread the news about Cherry La throughout all of Canada. Only in Quebec, it’ll be called Le Cherry La. Or La Cherry La. Something like that. I’ve always been le bad at French.

Thanks, Sara!

If you’ve got a caker recipe (original or not), email it to me cakercooking at gmail dot com and I’ll do my darndest to feature it.

And don't forget to come back Monday for the first-ever Pieathalon!

¼ cup maraschino cherry juice
¼ cup lemon juice (about ½ a lemon)
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 cups water
¼ cup sugar
¼ - ½ cup chopped maraschino cherries

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Pour mixture in a heat proof/freezer proof pan (I used a metal 9x9 cake pan). Let cool until room temperature.  Then put in freezer, making sure it’s a level spot.  Freeze for about 2 hours.  Once frozen, use a fork and scrape the surface.  Enjoy!

Sara’s note 1:  You may have to rearrange all of your French bread pizzas and unlabelled Tupperware for a level spot in your freezer.

Sara’s note 2:  Don’t use a cheap fork to scrape up the Cherry La or you’ll end up with yet another piece of silverware for your wind chime project.

Source: Caker Sara

Sex in a Pan

When it comes to sex, many cakers prefer eating it to doing it. Sex in a Pan, a dish that combines pudding, Cool Whip and water-based lubricant (okay, that was a lie) has been around the block a few times. You may have come across it by one of its tamer names, like Better than Robert Redford, Heaven in a Pan, Ecstasy in a Pan, or The Thing My Husband and I Used to Do Before He Decided Sleep Was More Desirable Than Me.

I have to give props to the woman who brazenly submitted Sex in a Pan for her church cookbook, what with all those virginal gelatin moulds and saintly shortbread cookie recipes floating around. It takes guts to be a sexual revolutionary, but it usually pays off. Just look at Lady Godiva. She rode around nude on a horse and now she’s got a chocolate empire, not to mention the money she made with that poker face song.

If you haven’t had Sex in a Pan before, stop denying yourself. This decadent, six-layer creation didn’t earn its name for no reason. In fact, it has many things in common with actual sex, including nuts, gooey substances and feelings of guilt after you're done.

1st Layer
½ cup flour
½ cup butter
1 cup pecans, chopped
Cook in 8” x 12” pan (see note) at 350° for 15 minutes. Cool.

2nd layer
1 8-ounce package Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 cup icing sugar
Cream together and put on top of first layer.

3rd layer
½ of a large tub of Cool Whip
Spread Cool Whip over second layer.

4th layer
1 3 ½ ounce package instant chocolate pudding
1 ½ cups milk
Let set for a few minutes, then spread on third layer.

5th layer
1 3 ½ ounce package instant vanilla pudding
1 ½ cups milk
Let set for a few minutes, then spread on fourth layer

6th layer
½ tub of Cool Whip
Put the rest of the Cool Whip over fifth layer. Decorate with shavings of chocolate.

Note: Make sure you use a 8” x 12” dish because the crust won’t cover 9” x 13”. If you only have that size, consider upping the ingredients by a ¼ cup.

Source: Best Recipes This Side of Heaven, Home-Tested Recipes from Anglican Church Ladies

Eggnog Dessert

It seems like every nationality has a beverage they’re most associated with. Italians have wine. British people have tea. The folks from IKEA have glögg. And cakers? Why, we cherish a thick, yellow drink made from unfertilized eggs.

I don’t know why cakers go cuckoo for eggnog. Is it because eggnog is only available at Christmas? Is it the cinnamon dusting on top? Or is it because it gives us another excuse to put rum into something?

Here’s a recipe that solidifies eggnog. So you can eat it instead of drinking it. Well, maybe not eat. More like slap it around in your mouth. I know it looks like a giant blister but when has visual appeal ever stopped cakers before? Just stick a poinsettia in it or spray with that fake snow stuff and you’ll have everyone slapping back seconds.

P.S. Yes, this looks a lot like my Maple Fluff. I'm opening a bake shop that sells only greyish-beige wobbly things.

1 litre carton of eggnog
2 envelopes of unflavoured gelatine, softened in cold water

In a heavy saucepan, heat the eggnog until almost boiling. Add the softened gelatine and whisk slowly to thoroughly mix and dissolve gelatine. Pour into a mold and place in refrigerator to set. Serve plain or with a garnish of fruit fruit, cream or shaved chocolate.

Source: Celebration Cookbook, Canadian Bible Society

The Greatest Chocolate Dessert Ever

Cakers have a tendency to make some pretty big claims in their recipes. Often, you’ll see things like “Easiest Ever Zucchini Bread” or “Better than Sex Pudding” or “The Cheese Ball Guaranteed to Make You Friends.”

Cakers are good salespeople at the best of times but we’re also pretty competitive with one another. Think about it – there you are, all crammed into the same community cookbook. If your Tomato Soup Cake recipe isn't the easiest or best-tasting, or doesn't promise to help people win Lottario, chances are someone will pass over it and chose a recipe that does.

Anything with the words “chocolate” and “greatest” in the name deserves a whirl in my opinion so I served The Greatest Chocolate Dessert Ever to company the other night. They all agreed it was delicious. (It's the Skor bits that make your eyes roll back in your head.)

“But is this the greatest chocolate dessert ever?” I asked. Everyone, not surprisingly, said no.

Oh, well. The woman who submitted the recipe got me to make her version instead of “The Classic Chocolate Dessert” recipe that followed – which was exactly the same. “Skor” one for marketing.

1 chocolate cake mix
2 packages chocolate pudding
1 bowl of cool whip
4 Skor bars

Method: Bake cake according to recipe. Let cool. Mix pudding mix according to recipe. Smash the Skor bars into teeny pieces. Cut the cake into small pieces. Do not crumble. Place ½ cake in bottom of large bowl. Place half pudding mix on top of cake. Add ½ container of cool whip. Add 2 crumbled Skor bars. Continue to make layers. Chill for approximately 2 hours.

Hey! If you haven't checked out Bazaar-o-Rama '13, click here. I'll update it every Friday!

Hey again! Caker Christmas is around the corner! Starting December 2, I'll be posting three freaking times a week. Goodies! Crafts! Bric-a-brac! And more!

Source: The Chocolate Town Cookbook, St. Stephen, New Brunswick

Knoxapocalypse: Maple Fluff

This week, I’m participating in something called “Knoxapocalypse” with other food bloggers from far-away places like England and the United States. We all swapped recipes that called for gelatin. I got something called Maple Fluff, courtesy of Bitter Sweet Susie.

Folks, Maple Fluff whipped me into a frenzy. It took an hour to make, which is 58 minutes longer than most caker recipes. Then there were all these phrases I’d never heard before, like “stir constantly” and “egg whites.” Honestly, I was going bananas.

So was the end result worth it?

Well, it looked like chunky, taupe vomit going into the fridge. (I may have folded in the egg whites too soon, but I was getting impatient, what with Mother hollering that it was time for Mystery Detectives on the Nancy Grace channel.) But I have to say – Maple Fluff tasted fan-fluffing-tastic. Kind of like a maple custard tart. Only better. Because it was a big maple custard tart.

Would I eat it again? You bet. Would I make it again? Hell, no.

2 tablespoons unflavoured gelatin
¼ cup cold water
1 pint cream
2 eggs, separated
1 cup maple sirup (see note 1)
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon almond extract.

Soften gelatin in cold water. Heat cream over hot water, then pour slowly over slightly beaten egg yolks. Return mixture to double boiler and cook 5 minutes, or until it starts to thicken, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in softened gelatin. Add maple sirup and cool. When mixture begins to thicken, add coconut, salt and almond flavoring. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into mixture (see note 2). Pour into individual molds and chill until firm (see note 3). Serve plain or top with sweetened whipped cream, sprinkled with toasted coconut. Serves 8.

Note 1: Yes, I know how to spell syrup. But that’s how the book spelt it.

Note 2: I didn’t get salmonella, but I was worried.

Note 3: Do you have 8 individual molds sitting in your cupboard, just waiting to be used? I sure don’t. (I don't even have 8 friends.) So I poured everything into one big mold.

So what did my fellow food bloggers get up to? Check out their Knoxapocalypse creations, but BE WARNED. Some of this stuff ain't pretty:

Betty Davis' Mustard Ring made by Retro Recipes
Melon Mousse made by Bitter Sweet Susie
Olive Wreath Mold made by Dinner is Served
Molded Avocado and Tuna made by The Retro WW Experiment
Turkey in Aspic by Silver Screen Suppers
Pickle and Pineapple Salad by Mid-Century Menu

Source: 250 Delectable Desserts

Dream Loaf

My relationship with JELL-O is like a lot of other relationships in my life: complicated.

On the one hand, JELL-O and cakers go together like Shields and Yarnell, Captain and Tenille, Leonardo DiCaprio and [insert model name]. But whenever I attempt to make something with JELL-O, it never really works out. (See Ribbon Salad, a.k.a. Rainbow Barf, as an example.)

This Dream Loaf sounded so simple. Start with JELL-O, add some Dream Whip, toss in some cookie crumbs and repeat. I could see it in my head, all those beautiful alternating layers, glistening in the sunlight and Mother laughing and laughing as I spoon fed her bite after wobbly bite.

But then it came out looking like this. All gobbledy-gooky. The “dream” died even before it had a chance to live. Having said that, it still tasted good. Just too bad it looked like the Titanic shipwreck. (It does look a little like that, doesn't it? I can't be the only one who sees it.)

Anyway, JELL-O, I'm not certain about our future. Maybe one of us needs to firm up. And maybe one of us just needs to walk away.

P.S. There's still time to enter the Top 5 Caker Fashions contest! Details here.

1 package Dream Whip
JELL-O (any flavour)
Chocolate wafer biscuits

Prepare JELL-O and refrigerate until slightly firm. Set aside ¼ of the JELL-O. Prepare Dream Whip according to package instructions. Combine ¼ JELL-O and Dream Whip together. Crumble chocolate wafer biscuits. In loaf pan, place layer of JELL-O, layer of Dream Whip and JELL-O mixture, layer of crumble wafer biscuits. Continue doing layers, ending with Dream Whip and JELL-O mixture and a few crumbled biscuits on top. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Slice to serve.

A great finish to any meal!

Source: What’s In the Oven?

Yes, I used the unicorn book again. Serves me right.

Banana Pudding

I always go a little squirrely for mushy food, especially when it's mushy biscuits saturated in pudding, Cool Whip or Kahlua. So when a work colleague brought in a dish his wife had made with pudding and vanilla wafers, I had no other choice but to steal it out of the fridge, blame it on the cleaning staff and get the recipe for myself.

Folks, let me tell you: Banana Pudding can cause your wallet some serious damage. The reason? After you’re done eating the whole thing, you’ll need to get out the Sears catalogue and order some bigger slacks. Like one of my other caker faves, Pineapple Cream Cake, this dish needs to ferment for two to three days to get everything all squishy-like. Just make sure you put it in the fridge as fruit flies can be pesky little buggers.

Mrs. Hunter, the person I got this recipe from, writes a fashion blog called Style Forage. Being a fashion-forward guy myself (my summer mission is to bring back man clogs), I asked her if she’d help me come up with the top five caker fashions. I’ll post that on Friday, along with a trés chic reader contest!

Until then, keep eating.

1 6 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups cold water
Small box (3.4 oz) of instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups heavy whipping cream (see note)
One box of nilla wafers
4 bananas, sliced

Beat sweetened condensed milk and water in a bowl for about a minute. Add the pudding mix and continue beating for two more minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours, up to overnight. In a large bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks have formed, then gently fold into chilled pudding mixture until fully combined. In large bowl or dish, layer wafers, bananas, pudding, layers, bananas, pudding.

Note: Just use a container of Cool Whip.

Source: Stylish Mrs. Hunter

Daiquiri Pah

Good lord, what kind of sick individual came up with the spelling for daiquiri? I don’t even want to say how long it took me to get it right. Personally, I think dackeree is a much more practical way to spell it.

This cool and refreshing Daiquiri Pah is like the sibling of the equally delicious Tang Pah. However, because of the alcohol content, this pah should only be eaten after the kids go to bed. In other words, it’s “adults only,” just like those VHS rental places with the frosted windows. And, like Tang Pah, it’s better frozen. (It was a little goopy in its refrigerated state.)

A word of caution: this pah is strong! There’s a ½ cup of rum in it. In fact, it’s so potent, I blanked out after my second piece and woke up the next morning, dangling from a construction crane, wearing a cowboy hat and a pair of pantyhose – neither of which, surprisingly, were mine. Scary how that happened. Again.

But I suppose that’s to be expected when you bake from a cookbook with a unicorn on the cover.

Graham cracker pie crust
1 8 ozs. pckg. cream cheese
1 14 ozs. can Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
1 6 ozs. can frozen limeade or lemonade
½ cup rum
1 5 ozs. container pre-whipped whipping cream (35% - Cool Whip is good) (See note)
Green food colouring (few drops – your choice)

Combine all ingredients except the pie crust in a blender. Blend well and pour into the pie shell. Limes may be placed around the top of the pie. Refrigerate for 6 hours and then serve.
What a coooool dessert!

Note: About half of a large Cool Whip container.

Source: What’s in the Oven?

Please, god. Don't let it be a unicorn.

Buster Bar Dessert

I should’ve declared June as “My Clearasil Month.” Two weeks ago, I featured a homemade Orange Julius inspired by my first job. This week, I’m serving up a caker dessert based on the popular Dairy Queen treat. And if anyone should know what a Buster Bar tastes like, it’s me. Because I made lots of them. That’s right, folks. I used to be a Dairy Queen.

Here are some interesting facts I learned while working there:

1) You can get any three toppings you want on a banana split (most people assume there’s some kind of weird pineapple, chocolate and strawberry restriction.)


2) Make sure no customers are around before you get freaky with the whipped cream dispenser.

3) If you stick your tongue into the cone dip, you’ll burn it.

Another thing I learned is that Spanish peanuts (the ones with the skin on them) taste the best. And that’s what we used for Buster Bars. So when you make this dessert, opt for those instead of chopped peanuts. I’d also skip the Oreos on top and cover with a layer of that chocolate magic shell stuff. Lastly, if you want sh-t to get really real, serve with an air of teen angst and a bandaged tongue.

48 Oreo cookies (see note)
¼ cup melted butter
½ gal. vanilla ice cream
8 ounces Cool Whip
1 cup peanuts
1 jar hot fudge topping

Crush cookies and mix with melted butter. Reserve 1 cup for topping, press into 9” x 13” pan. Put softened ice cream on top of cookie layer and freeze. Pour hot fudge sauce over and add peanuts, freeze. Spread Cool Whip on top, sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs and freeze.

Note: one bag

Source: National Mfg. Co. 1901-2001 Centennial Cookbook

Pink Thing

The bad news? We’re at the end of Unfortunately Named Caker Recipe Month. The good news? I’ve got something pink.

Like most cakers, I enjoy entertaining. Once the crockpot has been unplugged, the paper plates crammed into the garbage and the Taster’s Choice has been served, there’s nothing I like more than turning to my guests and asking, “Who’s got room for some Pink Thing?”

Look, there’s no reason to feel ashamed – everyone should indulge every now and then. Pink Thing is creamy, tasty as heck and hits the spot. Toss in some nuts and you’re in seventh heaven. Take it from someone who knows – Pink Thing delivers!

A few months back, I gave readers the chance to win copies of my novel, Natural Order, along with a handwritten recipe card. Fellow blogger Mimi was one of the winners and I sent her the recipe for Pink Thing. (Check out her results.) Naturally, I had to taste Pink Thing for myself – and now I’ve got another contest lined up!

Simply leave a comment that uses Pink Thing in a sentence. I’ll pick the best one and send the winner a copy of my first book, Fruit. I’ll even sign it so you get an extra 50 cents on eBay. Make sure you leave your comment by next Sunday, June 2. (And yes, you can opt in as "Anonymous.")

Good luck!

1 can cherry pie filling
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 carton Cool Whip
1 ½ cups pecans, chopped

Mix and refrigerate overnight. Spoon into pudding dishes or parfait glasses. Serves 8.

Source: London Newcomer’s Cook Book

(Yep, this is the same gem that gave me “This is Terrible – the Soda is Overwhelming!” Cherry Pudding.)

Easter Special: Resurrection Rolls

When I was a caker kid growing up in the United Church, there was nothing I liked better than Holy Communion. It meant you got a free cube of Wonder Bread and a thimble-full of grape juice. Heck, that was more than we had most days for lunch, especially if Mother lost at Bingo that morning.

Resurrection Rolls represent the miraculous story of Jesus rising from the dead using – what else? – marshmallows and Pilsbury crescent roll dough. Look, I’m not saying it’s holiest of representations, but it sure is the tastiest!

In this recipe, Jesus is a marshmallow. You dunk him in melted margarine and sprinkle him with cinnamon sugar. Then you wrap him up in Pilsbury dough, pop him into the oven and when you open the “tomb” – poof! – he’s gone! Just make sure the seams of your tomb are sealed tight. Otherwise, it’ll look like Jesus is seeping out. And that can be a confusing message for kids.

From my ruffled curtain kitchen to yours, all the best for Easter. May Peter Cottontail leave you plenty of eggs – just not the crappy kind with the white stuff in the middle.

1 or 2 cans of crescent dinner rolls

Marshmallows (large size)

Margarine (melted)

Cinnamon sugar

Separate the dough into triangles (representing the linen cloth used for burial – Luke 23:53). Dip marshmallows (representing the body) “in soil and spices” – Luke 23:56. Wrap the “body” in the “linen cloth” (lightly pinch seams) and lay on cookie sheet. Place in the “tomb” and bake according to directions on the can of the rolls. Remove from “tomb” to discover the body is gone! HE IS RISEN!!!

1) Dip the body.

2) Wrap it up.

3) Pray he doesn't leak.









UPDATE: I just clued in that the "tomb" is the oven and not the crescent roll, which is the linen. Sometimes, it takes me a while.

Source: Canadian Bible Society Celebration Cookbook

Reader Recipe: Kitty Litter Cake

Well, here we are – the final recipe in my month-long Caker Cooking reader bonanza and it seems only fitting to end things with a bang. Or is that a plop?

Believe me, when it comes to caker food, I’ve seen my fair share of train wrecks. But when Kim sent me this recipe for Kitty Litter Cake, well, let's just say the ol' caker elevator managed to go a floor down.

Have you ever seen Tootsie Rolls used in such an imaginative way? The care and attention to detail in this cake is inspiring. My only question is – who would think of this? I mean, what kind of person says, "I want to make a cake that looks like it's made with cat poop?"

On second thought, maybe it's better we not know.

Anyways, thanks to Kim and to all the readers whose recipes I featured this month. If I didn’t post your recipe, fear not. There's still a chance I'll post it in the weeks ahead. Remember – keep those recipes coming by emailing me at cakercooking at gmail dot com.

In the meantime, scoop yourself up some Kitty Litter Cake – and watch for hairballs.

1 package German chocolate cake mix
1 package white cake mix
2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 package vanilla sandwich cookies
3 drops green food coloring
1 package Tootsie Rolls

Prepare cake mixes and bake according to package directions (any size pan).
Prepare pudding according to package directions and chill until ready to assemble. Crumble sandwich cookies in small batches in a food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup add a few drops of green food coloring and mix. When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with 1/2 of the remaining cookie crumbs, and the chilled pudding. You probably won't need all of the pudding, you want the cake to be just moist, not soggy. Line kitty litter box with the kitty litter liner. (See note.) Put cake mixture into box. Put half of the unwrapped Tootsie Rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until softened. Shape the ends so that they are no longer blunt, and curve the Tootsie Rolls slightly. Bury Tootsie Rolls randomly in the cake and sprinkle with half of the remaining cookie crumbs. Sprinkle a small amount of the green colored cookie crumbs lightly over the top. Heat 3 or 4 of the Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle lightly with some of the green cookie crumbs. Heat the remaining Tootsie Rolls until pliable and shape as before. Spread all but one randomly over top of cake mixture. Sprinkle with any remaining cookie crumbs. Hang the remaining Tootsie Roll over side of litter box and sprinkle with a few green cookie crumbs. Serve with the pooper scooper for a gross Halloween dessert.

Note: Oh, god. I just couldn’t do the litter box and the scooper. I just couldn’t.

Source: Kim via All Recipes

Reader Recipe: Low-Cal Cobbler

I don’t know about you, but around this time of the year, the ol' denim jumpsuit starts getting a little tight. I suppose I could blame the panzerottis or the leftover fruitcake or the box of Pot of Gold I consumed the other night during a Golden Girls marathon. But I prefer to think it’s my body’s way of saying, “You need to keep warm.” And why fight nature?

Having said that, it’s always good to cut back a little. So when Caker Cooking reader, Cheryl, sent me this recipe that her cousin posted on Facebook, I figured the timing couldn’t be better. A low-calorie treat that tastes delicious? Colour me Jenny Craig.

Admittedly, it’s a little weird to be pouring Diet 7-Up over cake mix, but keep in mind where you’re reading this recipe. Besides, it’s DIET 7-Up, people! As to how it tasted, well, I ate the whole pan. Guess it's time to start wrapping myself in Saran Wrap.

Thanks, Cheryl!

Two 12-oz bags frozen mixed berries (See note)
1 box white cake mix (no pudding)
1 can of diet 7-up or sierra mist (clear soda)

Place frozen fruit in a 9x13 baking dish. Add dry cake mix over the top. Pour soda slowly over cake mix. DO NOT stir the cake mix and the pop - this will give you a “crust.” If you stir the two, you will have a cake-like topping.

Bake 350 for 45-50 min.

Serves 16, 4 Weight Watchers PointsPlus

Note: Or a 600 gram bag.

Source: Cheryl via Facebook via Cheryl's cousin

Reader Recipe: Mexican Hat

Reader month continues with a traditional Mexican treat!

Cakers love anything Mexican. I’m talking Taco Bell sauce (mild, of course), Kahlua and piñatas. Which reminds me – don’t drink a bottle of Kahlua and then try to hit something with a baseball bat while blindfolded. I’m speaking from experience.

When Caker Cooking reader, Mattel 1974, sent me this recipe (if you can call it a recipe; it’s more of an “assembly of ingredients,” but that’s true of all caker food) I knew I had to share it with the world. Turns out Mattel 1974 used to work at a restaurant called The Jolly Miller and Mexican Hat was a favourite dessert of the senior men who ate there. (I have a feeling rice pudding was a close second.)

When I was growing up, we couldn’t afford real chocolate sauce. I had to improvise with hot chocolate powder and water. I still can’t afford real chocolate sauce, so I did the same thing here. It’s just as good – provided you don’t mind the grit. As to how it tasted, well, you could put sprinkles on the phone book and I’d eat it. Enough said.

Mattel 1974, as they say in Mexico, “nachos gracious” for the recipe. I tip my (Mexican) hat to you.

Take a stale cake donut. Put a scoop of ice cream in the hole. Pour some chocolate sauce over top. Add sprinkles. Invite an elderly man over.

Source: The Jolly Miller via Mattel 1974

Pumpkin Dessert

Thanksgiving is a special time for cakers. We gather round our kitchen tables, join hands and give God thanks for the many blessings in our lives, including Kraft Thousand Island dressing, Bee Hive corn syrup and Duncan Hines cake mix.

Unlike most people, cakers don’t stop at making only cake with cake mix. We’re far too resourceful for that. We use it as a dessert topping, as a secret ingredient in cookies and some of us even use it as an effective scouring powder for cleaning bathroom grout.

This Pumpkin Dessert – which dates back further in caker history than our love of Hee Haw – offers the best of both worlds by using cake mix for the topping and the crust. Serve it with a side of Cool Whip and you’ll be in pilgrim heaven. If the pilgrims had cake mix. Which they didn’t. Because it hadn’t been invented. But they would’ve. If they'd had've had it.

Ow. That last one hurt my brain real bad.

1 package yellow cake mix
½ cup butter, melted
3 eggs
1 can (30 ounce) pumpkin pie mix
1 can evaporated milk
½ cup sugar
¼ cup all purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, butter and one egg until crumbly. Set aside 2/3 cup for topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture into a greased 9” x 13” baking pan. In a mixing bowl, beat the remaining eggs. Add pie mix and milk and pour over crust. Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and reserved crumb mixture, sprinkle over the pumpkin layer. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until chilled before cutting.

Source: Royal Canadian Legion Branch 99