HAWAIIAN WEDDING CAKE

Sometimes I spend a while looking for just the right dessert to make to take to Hillcrest Thrift Shop each week for the volunteers. I have started writing an "H" by the title on the piece I paper I use to indicate the recipes I particularly like when I am scanning through a cookbook if I want to remember it for Hillcrest. I am learning that saves me some time so that I don't have to go to each recipe to see if I want to make it for them. I also am writing an "*" if I want to make it for us. Every little thing I can do to make my life a little less stressful helps out tremendously.

When I saw this recipe for Hawaiian Wedding Cake, I just knew the volunteers would love it. I was disappointed. Volunteer Ellie, who missed out on the Cherry I took the week before , told me she thought it was the best thing I had ever made. (It seems like I hear that often and I think it is just their way of letting me know they really, really, really liked it.) I almost forgot to mention that I found the recipe in The Best of Mennonite Fellowship MEALS cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good and Louise Stoltzfus. They credited the recipe to Cheryl Benner from Honeybrook, PA, Christian Fellowship Church

I only had a couple of changes from the original recipes: one being I used Neufchatel cheese for the cream cheese because that is what I often buy (it has 1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese) and I used about 3/4 of an 8 ounce container of whipped topping instead of just 1 cup. The vanilla pudding was also sugar free, but I did use a regular yellow cake mix and the milk was skim milk. So often when I make substitutions it is because that is what I have in my pantry. I do try to reduce the sugar and fat when I can in my cooking. I did not include the ingredients I used to make the cake because it might be different according to the brand of cake mix you use.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THE RECIPE, CLICK HERE.

HAWAIIAN WEDDING CAKE

1       yellow cake mix + plus ingredients to make
1       20 - oz can crushed pineapple
1       3 - oz pkg instant vanilla pudding
2       cups cold milk
1       8 - oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1       8 - oz carton whipped topping (I used about 3/4 of it.)
1       cup shredded coconut
Crushed nuts, optional (I did not use.)

Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions.

Remove cake from oven when done, and set cake in pan on wire rack to cool some. (I think I waited about 20 to 30 minutes.)

Pour/spoon crushed pineapple with juice over cake. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine pudding, milk, and cream cheese, beating until well mixed.

Spread the pudding mixture over the pineapple.

Spread the whipped topping over the cream cheese mixture.

(This is how much I had left in the 8 ounce container. Use as much as you like.)

Sprinkle generously with the coconut. (If you are using the nuts, sprinkle them over the coconut.)







Cover and chill until ready to serve. (I always make mine the day before I plan to serve it.)

Cut in squares when you are ready to serve.