Donations for the Local Food Pantry

Our church has been working with a local food pantry to serve the community. In October, the members of our Relief Society decided to donate baked goods to the pantry.

I made Coconut Pumpkin Snack Cake. The food pantry asked that the donations be individually wrapped in plastic sandwich bags. This cake is delicious and holds together well when packaged.

 

Some of our members were able to assist at the pantry by organizing food and helping people collect and bag their groceries to take home. Since I have young children at home, I am not always able to help with this kind of service project. I was happy that, even though I could not assist inside the pantry, I could still serve by baking treats to donate.

My house was the drop-off point for the donations last year. I just had to take a picture with all of the donations together. This is what 21 1/2 dozen baked goods look like - all packed up and ready to go.

Pumpkin Coconut Snack Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

8 oz. pumpkin

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

6 oz. white chocolate chips

2 cups shredded coconut

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

-Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13" baking pan with foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

-Combine cake mix, pumpkin, oil, eggs, and cinnamon in a mixer on medium speed until well combined 

  (about 2 minutes). 

-Stir in white chocolate chips.  

-Pour cake mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly across pan.

-Sprinkle coconut over the top.

-Bake for 30-35 minutes. 

-Check to make sure the middle is done by inserting a toothpick and making sure it comes out clean. 

-Allow to cool completely before cutting.

Enjoy!

Pineapple Pudding Cake

This is going to be the most delicious, moist cake you've ever eaten! My mom made this cake when we were growing up, and it is one of my favorites. The recipe is very simple.

Ingredients:

A baked yellow cake
20 oz. can crushed pineapple
1 cup sugar
6 oz. box of Cook and Serve vanilla pudding *IMPORTANT - cannot be instant pudding
9 oz. carton of whipped cream
1 cup flaked coconut

Follow the package directions to bake a 9x13" yellow cake. While the cake is baking, heat can of crushed pineapple (including the juices) with the cup of sugar over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

Once your cake is done baking, while it is still warm, poke the top all over with the handle of a wooden spoon. Maybe twenty pokes should do it. Now evenly pour and spread the pineapple mixture all over the cake. The holes will ensure the pineapple juices go all through the cake.



Now, follow the package directions on the Cook and Serve pudding. As soon as it's done, take it off of the stove, and pour it over the cake. Spread the pudding evenly across the cake.



Now you need to wait for the cake and pudding to cool down completely before you add the whipped cream. Once cooled, spread the whipped cream across the cake. Almost done!



Sprinkle the coconut onto the whipped cream. You're done!

Happy Birthday, Twilla!

I made some cupcakes with coconut cream cheese frosting to celebrate my friend Twilla's birthday. I wanted to make Twilla's cupcake extra special, so I used gold luster dust mixed with a little water to paint the edges of the fondant flower and to make her name sparkle.



STATS:

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cream-cheese-frosting/b8566164-81e0-44e0-872c-b0fbe53c3280
(I substituted 1 tsp. of coconut extract for the vanilla in this Betty Crocker recipe)

Rhonda's Ultimate Marshmallow Fondant
http://cakecentral.com/recipes/3183/rhondas-ultimate-mmf