Hattie's Recipe Box

I hope you all had a hoppy Easter. I certainly did, but I wish I'd had more free time. Homework again prevented me from spending the whole day with my family and from doing my usual holiday cooking and baking.

My fiancé's daughter Amber came to our rescue preparing a delicious meal for us, while I provided the desserts: Cherry Cream Cheese Pie and Luscious Pineapple Angel Food Cake.

The pie recipe I gave to you on March 23, so I'm sharing the cake recipe now. This cake is so moist and yummy, and you won't believe just how easy it is to make. It would be the perfect dessert for those times when you're crunched for time.

This recipe can be easily converted to a diabetic-friendly version by substituting sugar-free instant pudding and Cool Whip.

Luscious Pineapple Angel Food Cake

Servings: 10

Supplies:

Cake chest

Medium-sized mixing bowl

Large serrated knife

Offset spatula or butter knife

Large spoon

1-cup dry measure

Electric mixer or whisk

Ingredients:

1 angel food cake (10 oz.)

1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

1 cup thawed Cool Whip

1 package (4 oz.) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling (I use Wal-Mart Great Brand

French Vanilla Instant Pudding and Pie Filling.)

1 cup of fresh mixed berries (optional)

Directions:

Put dry pudding mix and pineapple with its juice in a medium-sized mixing bowl; mix with an electric mixer or whisk. Add one cup of Cool Whip to pudding mixture; stir until completely combined. Let stand five minutes until thickened.

Cut cake into three horizontal layers using a serrated knife. Place bottom cake layer, cut-side up, on bottom of cake chest; spread top with 11/3 cups of the pudding mixture using offset spatula or butter knife.

Cover with middle cake layer, pressing down so that the pudding mixture oozes out just slightly. Spread middle cake layer with one cup of the pudding mixture. Top with the remaining cake layer, and repeat as before; and spread with the remainder of the pudding mixture.

Place lid on cake chest, and then put into refrigerator for at least one hour.

Optional: Before serving, decorate top of cake with mixed berries such as strawberries, blueberries and/or raspberries.

Store leftovers in refrigerator.