The Cookbook Experiment: Hawaiian Surprise Cake

Tonight's dessert cookbook experiment is a cake from Mr. Dick John. He has a lot of recipes in this book and so far I have liked them all.This was no exception.

Hawaiian Surprise Cake by Dick John

(1) package yellow cake mix with pudding
(1/2) cup oil
(4) eggs
(1) small can mandarin oranges, undrained

Beat cake mix, oil, eggs and oranges for 2 minutes.  Bake in a 9" x 13" pan in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool

Frosting:

(1) 8 ounce container of Cool Whip
(2 1/2) cups well drained, crushed pineapple
(1) small box instant vanilla pudding mix

Mix all together with a spoon.  Spread over cooled cake.  Decorate with flaked coconut and orange slices.  Refrigerate.  Serves 12.

My (and Paulina's) take-a-way for this recipe:

• I made the cake portion. I did not have a cake that had pudding in the mix so I just used a standard yellow cake mix.
• I did not have a small can of mandarin oranges. I did have the large can and went ahead and used it all without any noticeable difference. 
• Paulina made the frosting. She states and I agree that a homemade whipped topping using heavy whipping cream. 
• Paulina added some strawberries to the top of hers.  

The Cookbook Experiment: Do Nothing Cake

 Tonight's dessert is another one from the Littles family. Mrs. Alverta Littles is one seriously amazing woman. I love her quiet faith and steady hand. She is definitely someone you can believe when she says she is praying for you, you know she is.

Do Nothing Cake by Alverta Littles

(2) cups flour
(2) cups sugar
(2) eggs
(1) teaspoon vanilla
(1) teaspoon soda
(1) teaspoon salt
(1) large can crushed pineapple
(1/3) cup Wesson oil

In a 9" x 13" baking pan mix all cake ingredients.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Topping

(1) stick margarine
(1) cup sugar
(1) 5 ounce can milk, evaporated
(1) cup chopped nuts
(1) cup coconut

To make cake topping cook margarine, sugar, milk for 5 minutes over medium heat. Do not burn. Add nuts and coconut, spread over hot cake. Then cool.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• The can of pineapple is 20 ounces.
• Any vegetable or corn oil is okay for the Wesson oil.
• Truthfully, I would not have mixed the cake right in the baking pan if I had realized just how much stirring was required. I was constantly in danger of flour/sugar going overboard with how much mixing was required.
• For the topping I used butter in lieu of margarine...because BUTTER is better in my opinion.
• Please be very, very careful with the topping. I cooked mine over medium low and timed the five minutes just as it began to boil. This mixture is prone to bubble up (or spit as I call it) on you and could cause a burn. I would not stop stirring once you set the five minute timer.
• The recipe says to cool.  That did not happen. I cut immediately and it was a little rough. You could tell it needed to cool first.
• I thought the topping tasted like sweetened condensed milk, a light version, with coconut added in.
• Thank you Alverta, this was a good dessert for tonight and everyone (except my non-coconut eating oldest child) loved it.

The Cookbook Experiment: Black Forest Dump Cake

Today I am trying a recipe by a fine man named Dick John. He is very special to me. This is the third recipe in my series of trying every recipe in this cookbook:

I was very intrigued by this recipe, who does not enjoy a good dump cake? I have never heard of a dump cake using a chocolate cake. I had to try it!

Black Forest Dump Cake by Mr. Dick John
(1) 8 ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained (save the juice)
(1) 21 ounce can of cherry pie mix
(1) 18 ounce box Devils Food cake mix
(1) cup chopped pecans
(1/2) cup melted butter
Whipped topping

Lightly grease a 13" x 9" pan. Layer with drained pineapple. Second layer - add the pie filling. Third layer - sprinkle dry cake mix over filling. Fourth layer - sprinkle with pecans. Combine the melted butter and pineapple juice and pour over top. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Serve with whipped topping.

I cannot wait for this to finish.  It is looking and smelling so very good! Thanks Mr. John for the recipe!

Snowflake Truffles

Tonight I am making a special treat for a friend.  She likes sweet things, which is appropriate since she is such a sweet and beautiful lady!  It is a recipe that I adapted from one I saw floating around the internet.  I had to modify the one I found as it contained nuts.  I try not to use nuts as I have friends with nut allergies. Here is my take on a fun, no-bake, quick truffle that is easy to make and tastes wonderful.

(2) 8 ounce packages of cream cheese softened
(1) 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained
(4) tablespoons of powdered sugar
(1) bag of sweetened shredded coconut

Drain the pineapple very, very well.  Mix 3/4 of the can of pineapple with the softened cream cheese until well mixed.  Add the powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until well blended, scraping the bowl often.  Put in the refrigerator for at least two hours until well chilled.

Remove from fridge.  Scoop into balls and roll in coconut.  Place on waxed paper and put back in the fridge until firm.

These are a sweet tropical treat!

Jello.....

My husband dares to go where I have always been afraid to go:  combining Jello with pineapple.  I mean, gosh! Even the package says don't use canned pineapple.  But he does it....successfully!

While I was away yesterday, he mixed Lime green Jello with an orange Jello with pineapple:

It is a strange olive green color and it tastes GOOD.  He did a really good job.  It is quite yummy.  It kind of fixes my sweet tooth need!  My hubs is very smart.