Too hot to bake? Never!

My husband says it's too hot to turn on the oven, too hot to cook, too hot to bake anything...but it's my therapy!  So, I've resorted to sneaking.  I bake late at night, after he's gone to bed, early in the morning before anyone else is awake, and today, when he was preoccupied with cleaning the garage, I baked.  Yes, he came in and complained of the heat in the family room (which is connected to our kitchen), but the moist, cool sweetness of the Aloha cake this evening after towing my car to the dealership was totally worth it.  (The car is a story for another time.)

Honestly, I try to find desserts that do not require the oven.  I spend hours scrolling through Pinterest and other sites, looking for cool, refreshing desserts, but there are only so many variations you can put on the cool whip pie (kool aid, jello, yogurt, pudding, etc.)  So, while my husband was out cleaning the garage this afternoon in preparation of installing a new garage door opener (another impulse buy at Costco which will surely cause an argument before it is up and running) I turned on the oven to bake an "Aloha Cake", I found on Pinterest.  It calls for mandarin oranges and pineapple, both of which I have cans and cans of as a result of a sale at Winco last month.

Aloha Cake

1 boxed yellow cake mix
3 eggs
3/4 C veg. oil
1 11 oz. can of mandarin oranges with the juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all of the above ingredients about 2 minutes, or until everything is incorporated.  I used my stand mixer, and the oranges did break up a little, but I don't like to bite into whole orange segments in the cake, anyway.  Pour the cake batter into a greased 9x13 pan, and bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes.

 

 

 

Let the cake cool completely before frosting:

1 tub of cool whip (thawed)
1 pkg (3 oz) vanilla pudding
1 15 oz can of crushed pineapple with the juice

Mix all of these ingredients with mixer until everything is well incorporated.  Again, I used my stand mixer.  Spread the frosting across the cooled cake, and refrigerate until it is served.  You will also need to refrigerate any leftovers.

My family is picky about texture, and they were all "worried" when they saw the pineapple bits sticking through the frosting.  But, every single one of them proclaimed the cake to be yummy!  It is a very moist, sweet cake, that has a cool, refreshing taste on a hot summer's night.  This easy cake will definitely be making another appearance this summer.

As a variation, I've seen recipes substitute the vanilla pudding with coconut pudding in the frosting.  I don't like coconut flavor, so although my family does like coconut, they may never get a taste of this variation:-O