Ultimate Easy Cake
Everyone needs an easy to throw together party cake. Like when you said you’d make ‘something’ for the library fundraiser or the scout troop meeting but you wish you hadn’t and now you need a fast way to discharge your duty. Ambrosia Cake is it. And it’s good! And not cloyingly sweet. Sweet, yes, but not toothache sweet.
Boxes, Cans, and Cartons
It’s boxes and cans and a half pint of heavy cream. You start with a Betty Crocker golden Cake mix. Betty gets the nod for the best golden but you can do Duncan (as in Hines) if that’s what you have in the pantry. The cake mix calls for oil and you should use a light olive or other vegetable oil. I experimented with coconut oil – once – mostly so you don’t have to. The flavor was good but coconut oil solidifies at room temperature making for a dense chunk of cake – too dense. If you crave that coconut flavor in the cake add a half teaspoon of coconut extract to the batter and you’ll be good.
There are no special directions here other than opening all the boxes and cans, mixing thoroughly and waiting for the light fruity delicious result.
- For the Cake:
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- ½ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 1 14 oz can of mandarin oranges (keep the juice)
- For the Icing:
- 1 4 oz. box of instant vanilla pudding
- 1 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ pint heavy cream
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 1 tsp. orange extract (or orange zest)
- For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Combine oil, eggs, & extract & whisk together.
- Add to dry mix and beat for about 2 minutes on medium.
- Add drained orange slices & beat just until broken up.
- Pour batter into greased & floured pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until done.
- For the Icing:
- Mix sugar & extracts into the cream.
- Add instant pudding & whisk until thick. If too thick add some of the reserved juice from the orange cans.
- Stir in the crushed pineapple.
- Spread over cooled cake and decorate with more orange slices, orange zest, or grated nutmeg.
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Thanks! I’m working on a newsletter update so keep checking for new posts.