Banana Cream Poke Cake

Happy Spring!  I mean, happy "Calendar Spring" but still winter!  We had 2 inches of snow, but don't worry, it was 72 the next day.  If, in fact you were missing the snow it is OK, it snowed again 2 days later and we followed that up with some thunderstorms.  I mean, SERIOUSLY?  Mother Nature is like a mom, laying on the bed, grunting and groaning, twisting and shaking trying to get a pair of skinny jeans on from last year.  Ain't happening girl.  I just want Spring.  I just want thunderstorms, and sun, and flowers popping out of the ground and to put my patio together.  Is that SO much to ask when in fact, it is supposed to be Spring?

I digress..

I hope you all had a blessed Easter!  I cooked a feast, as usual, I needed about 10 more people to eat according the amount of food I made.  I just have this issue, I would rather way over cook and have days of leftovers, than to have someone walk away from my table still hungry.  No, it isn't going to happen.  However this year, I decided to stick with one dessert.  "Banana something" was requested.  I wanted easy, because as it happened, I was up hurling my guts out the entire night before Easter.  To much information?  Sorry.  I had no energy so, thankfully we were eating late and I could cook and rest and cook and rest.  Mom power is amazing.

This was an easy recipe I came up with, to satisfy the "banana something" request and still make it a little special for Easter!  I hope you love it!

1 yellow cake mix, prepared according to package direction.....
1 tsp baking soda
3 mashed bananas (if bananas aren't ripe, microwave them until soft, then mash!)
1 tsp banana extract (can use vanilla instead)

Prepare your yellow cake mix as directed.  In another bowl, mash bananas and baking soda together.  Add into the cake mix and add your extract.  Mix to completely combine.

Spray a 9x13 cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.  DO NOT PREHEAT YOUR OVEN!

Place cake in the oven and then turn oven on to 350 degrees F.   Bake at 350 F, for approximately 1 hour.  Let cake cool completely before moving on to the next step.

Poke holes in your cake.  I used the hand of a wooden spoon to make large holes for the thicker pudding!

2, 3.4 oz boxes banana pudding
milk

Prepare according to package directions and pour over entire cake, covering the entire top!  It will likely settle on top a bit, but that is a good thing!  Refrigerate for 1 hour!

Frosting:

7 oz container of Marshmallow Fluff
8 oz container whipped topping
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Jimmies or Nuts of your choice for the top!

Whip together all ingredients except sprinkles.  Whip until fluffy and completely combined.  Frost cake and add sprinkles or nuts of your choice!  Refrigerate until ready to serve and keep refrigerated after!

ENJOY!

Caramel Apple Dump Cake

Good evening my favorite people!  I hope this finds you all enjoying some nice fall weather and pretty colored trees!  It is definitely getting chilly here in the Midwest and I could NOT be happier if I am honest.  I am not a heat girl.  I like hot weather for a week or so, and then I am ready to not sweat and get dirty.  I prefer getting my dirty on in the.........KITCHEN.

So this cake, which may be familiar to some of you, was not, to me.  My friend "Coop", who btw, is an amazing singer.  If you are in Ohio, and you haven't driven to hear her sing at any number of Opry Houses or the like, you should.  Ask her to sing you some Patsy Cline.  You can check her out on Facebook!

You won't find a harder working, honest, mother, wife, grandmom or woman around.  She has been a friend for years, though we have never met in person we "met" on a step-parenting website probably 12 or 13 years ago!  Anyway, she had posted that her and her son, Chad were making this cake one evening.  She had me at "caramel apple".  I mean seriously, nothing can be bad if it contains those 2 ingredients.  I made her send me the recipe, and have made it twice...BUT, so have my kids, so, I don't feel so bad.

This is definitely a shortcut cake.  It uses apple pie filling and a box cake mix.  No judgement, just listen to me this time and do it.  I need to make it again, (haha, right) and dump a spoonful on top of some ice cream.  Oh yeah!  Now I was directed to dot the butter on top, but I found melting it and drizzling it on worked better for me AND, I used more than I was supposed to.  You are going to FREAK when you see the amount of butter I used but I only did it, after my son said he did it and I felt like I had to try it because, well, I mean, he can't make it better than me.  NOT going to happen.  Read me?  So freak out, if you want, you can even leave me freak out comment on my social media, I won't care because I know the joy this baby brings to her family and how good a spoonful is when you wake up in the middle of the night hungry.  I mean, IF that happens to you.  Again no judging.  HA!

Heeeere we go!

2 cans of apple pie filling
1 jar of caramel ice cream topping (I used more of this as well so about 1 cup)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 yellow cake mix
2 sticks or 1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat your oven to 350.  I sprayed my 9x13 pan with some nonstick cooking spray.  Dump in both cans of apple pie filling and if you are like me the entire jar of caramel sauce and cinnamon.  Mix it right in the cake pan.  Now sprinkle the yellow cake mix over the top and then carefully drizzle the butter on top of that, covering every bit of it you can.  The original called for 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter and to dot it on top.  I found melting it, just made it better for me.  Now bake for 55-60 minutes, I went a full 60 because The Real Housewives was on and I wasn't missing the last 5 minutes to grab the cake.  Priorities people.  The caramel will bubble up through the top in some places and it will be hotter than the sun, so please let it sit a good 15 minutes before you even consider how good it might be warm. 

I am not responsible for the burning off of tongue or mouth skin if you don't follow my directions.

ENJOY!