This is a bit of a hodge podge cake. You know how sometimes you see a recipe that’s like “chocolate coconut cookie dough peanut butter strawberry marshmallow cookies” and you’re like, “Why did anyone create that?” Well, now I know.
Those recipes are clearly created for someone specific in mind, as a means of combining all of their favorite flavors. Someone couldn’t decide what flavor to make for a loved one, because that person never really picks one overall favorite, so they just combined everything. And, naturally, when you spend all of that time developing a recipe, you have to share it, even if it is crazy.
Thus, here I am, sharing a cake that’s a cheesecake layer topped with moist lemon cake topped with whipped orange-vanilla frosting and toasted sugar cookies. Again, here I am sharing a cake that is so soft and crumbly, I could not get a pretty slice for a picture. Here I am, sharing a recipe that does not fit with my usual POV.
But I am sharing it, because it was delicious, and I made it for my mother. I took all of her favorites and combined them, and we all ate way too much of it. So, for anyone out there that can’t decide between 4 different desserts, here’s a start.
Also, it has riccotta, marscapone, butter, cookies, pudding, and cool whip. So why not share this masterpiece?
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 standard sized lemon cake mix, plus ingredients to mix it up
- 30 oz ricotta cheese
- 6 oz marscapone cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 8 oz whipped topping
- 1 4oz vanilla pudding mix
- 8 oz canned mandarin oranges (don’t drain)
- 1.5 cups crumbled sugar cookies
- 2 tablespoons butter
Preheat the oven to 350
Prepare lemon cake mix according to package directions, and pour into a well-greased 13×9 cake pan
With a whisk, beat together the ricotta, marscapone, and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and gently pour mixture over lemon cake mix and spread into an even layer
Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the lemon cake layer has risen about the cheese layer.
While it’s baking, you can make the cookie crumble. Melt the butter in a skillet. Break up the cookies into course crumbs, and add to the butter. Toss around for about 5 minutes, until it smells like cookies. Spread onto a baking sheet or paper plate to cool.
When the cake is room temp, pop it into the fridge for 20 minutes and get it chilled while you make the frosting.
Combine pudding mix and juice from the mandarin oranges in a large bowl, and whisk until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped topping and oranges until combined.
Spread over the cool cake- use all of it! I promise, you want to. Then, sprinkle on the cooled cookies.
It’s a weird one, but oh my it’s delicious. Enjoy!
whenkathycooks 