Lemon Dream Cake

 

 

Lemon Dream Cake

2 - 8 1/2 or 9 inch round metal cake pans (Tip: Do not use glass pans, this is a delicate cake and the glass pans will cause it to brown too quickly.)

1 box Betty Crocker Lemon Cake Mix (Tip: Be sure and use this particular brand, it makes a big difference for this recipe. Other cake mixes have added pudding, which make a more dense, heavier cake.)

1 large lemon

1 2.9 ounce package Jello Cook and Serve Lemon Pudding and Pie Filling (Make double sure it is the Cook and Serve kind not the instant!)

2 envelopes Dream Whip

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 c. whole milk

Cake: Make the cake according to directions on the box, (Tip: I found that using canola oil instead of vegetable oil makes the cake have a little lighter texture.) Also, make sure and beat the cake a bit longer than it says, until it is very fluffy. Pour into the greased and floured 9 inch metal baking pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. (Tip: Baking time depends upon your own unique oven; it might take a little more, or a little less. You may also need to lower the temperature to 325 degrees, if cake is browning too fast. This is a tender little cake, and you need to baby it a bit, so don't try to make it, if you are doing twelve things at once!)

Lemon Filling: This is the fun part!

In a small sauce pan, add pudding mix, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup. water and 2 large egg yolks. Stir mixture together by hand until thoroughly mixed. (Tip: It is very important to take care when separating your egg yolks and avoid getting as little egg white as possible into the mixture. This is because the egg white once cooked will turn hard and rubbery and it will keep your filling from being smooth.)

Add 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice. (Tip: Do not use the the lemon juice you get in the plastic "lemon" at the store, or "lemon" extract. This will just absolutely, completely and utterly ruin the cake. Use a real honest and true, picked off a tree: lemon.

Now add 1 and 2/3 cup of water.

Stirring constantly with a metal spoon cook on medium heat until mixture comes to a full, bubbly boil. (Tip: Now is not the time to walk away from the stove. If filling is not stirred, or you are not there to properly adjust the heat, it will begin to burn on the bottom and then little burned flakes will come up into the filling, and it won't taste as smooth or look as pretty.)

The filling will start out kind of cloudy looking because of the starch that is in it, but when it is done it will suddenly turn clear and should look like the filling in a lemon meringue pie, only thicker.

Cream Frosting: Dream Whip is just about one of the most wonderful thing ever invented! You can do so many different things with it and if you put a little less milk in the mixture it thickens up and becomes an ideal frosting for any flavor of cake. It is also very low in calories and fat, and is a nice substitute for richer butter cream or cream cheese frostings.

(Tip: When making Dream Whip the secret to getting it to come out real thick and fluffy is to beat it in a metal bowl. Put the metal bowl and beaters into the freezer for about 1/2 hour before making the Dream Whip and start mixing everything quickly while bowl is still nice and cold! What a big difference.)

When the cake is completely cool and the filling has been refrigerated and is cold, spread filling on first layer of cake nice and thick about 1/4 inch. (Save the rest of the filling and spoon out onto the plate when serving, it's too good to throw away, or eat a few spoons full when no one is looking.)

Top with the second layer and frost with Dream Whip frosting. Refrigerate cake at least a couple of hours before serving.