Heavenly Cake

I have a wicked sweet tooth... I actually have a mouthful of them. I was born to eat dessert. I'm usually game for a couple bites of the main dish before jumping right to the after-party. So, I reeaally have to practice self discipline.

I must say though, things have drastically improved. I used to down Little Debbie cakes like water. My bedtime routine would perpetually include a heaping bowl of ice cream. I frequented Perkins throughout my first 3 years of college, arriving between midnight and 4am and ordering their chocolate chip cookie sunday - no small thing. Dairy Queen and McDonalds saw me often, exiting their building proudly toting my banana split or McFlurry. My college roommates remember me whipping up a batch of homemade frosting and eating it like popcorn during movies.

(To my credit, though, I've always hated candy and soda - yay me!)

Thinking of how I used to indulge on sugar makes me wonder how I wasn't huge. I sure wasn't picky about my desserts. But things have changed a bit, I'm more particular now. I will never digest a Little Debbie cake again. Ice cream is okay, but there are better things out there. Just any old chocolate chip cookie won't get the privilege of my consumption - only the ooey, gooey ones. Homemade yummies get TOTAL preference while pre-made or store-bought stuff only happens in moments of pure desperation.

Being more particular has definitely benefited my health. If I primarily eat homemade desserts, I have to work to enjoy them, which means I don't eat sweets every day (... just most days). Problem helped. Boxed cake mixes are my friend though. Making homemade cake is just more time consuming and often doesn't turn out as well for me. So I'm in the business of enhancing boxed cake mixes.

And that's kind of what Heavenly Cake is... a cake on steroids. It's so light tasting, fluffy and refreshing. Few things disappoint me more than dry foods, but this recipe doesn't disappoint. Vanilla pudding, crushed pineapple, whipped cream, cream cheese and blueberries deliver a moist cake that will have you begging for more. Eat away!

HEAVENLY CAKE

Prep time: 15-20 min.

Bake time: 25-30 min.

Serves: About 10-12

 

Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix (plus ingredients for preparation)
• 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
• 1 box (5.1 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 1/4 cups cold milk
• 8 oz Philidelphia cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2-3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1.5 cup fresh blueberries

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare and bake the cake for a 9x13 dish, according to package directions. When the cake is done and still warm, pierce it all over with a fork and pour the crushed pineapple (with the juice) evenly over it.        
2. Whisk the pudding mix and milk in a bowl. After mixing it well, beat in the softened cream cheese and pure vanilla extract until smooth. Spread over the pineapple.        
3. Make the whipped cream by beating the heavy whipping cream and adding 2-3 tbsp. powdered sugar. If you prefer, you can use Cool Whip instead for ease. Spread over cake.
4. Garnish with blueberries or coconut. Enjoy!