Better Late Than Never.... Pink Zebra Cke

Sometimes I use cake mix, this was one of those occasions. Since I knew I wanted a 3-layer cake, I knew I would have to bake a total of four 9" cakes. I also knew that light, fluffy, airy cake would not hold up to being stacked. So I used my tried & true doctored up cake mix cake. For each two rounds I used:

1 Duncan Hines French Vanilla Cake mix

1 4-serving Jell-O Instant French Vanilla pudding mix

4 large eggs

1/2 C vegetable oil

1 1/4 C whole milk

Follow the directions on the package to mix. Make sure you mix it on the correct speed for the amount of time called for. Once it's mixed, measure out two cups of batter in a measuring cup intended for liquid measure. Tint the 2 cups of batter whatever color you want but make it bold & bright!


I know a lot of people are confused about how to layer a zebra cake. It really is as simple as dumping scoops of batter on top of each other. I used ice cream scoops with the thumb release to portion out the batter. One thing I did note is that you need to make sure your prepared pans are on a level surface or the batter will not spread evenly. Also, I used pan release in a can to grease & flour my pans and it worked like a charm!


The first batch of cakes I made I did not measure out two cups of batter to tint, I eyeballed it and as a result had too much pink and not enough white batter. You can see it in the middle layer of the finished cake. If you want perfect zebra stripes, you need to make sure your scoops hold the same amount of batter. You also need to be mindful to dump each scoop of batter in the middle of the the last scoop of batter you dumped in.

After the cakes come out of the oven, cool them for 15 minutes before removing them from the pan. Then allow them to cool on racks until they are completely cool. Wrap them well in plastic wrap and stash them in the fridge to get cold before leveling, filling and frosting.

If It Has No Sugar, No Dairy & No Gluten, Is It Still Dessert?

I am such a dufus sometimes. I made a totally rockin' dessert for Easter and failed to take pictures of it. Regardless, I wanted to share the "recipe" because it might help the next person who is tasked with making a sugar free, lactose free, gluten free dessert to take to a gathering without having any prior experience dessert making in any of those categories never mind all three at the same time.

I really had to do my homework on this one. It almost frustrated me to tears. When someone mentioned Coconut Cream Pie to me, I laughed. Uh, hello! Cream? But thanks to some really lovely and talented bloggers out there (too many to mention) I was pointed in the direction of coconut milk & Cool Whip for a lactose free alternative to milk and cream. I did a little more digging and found that both Jell-O and Cool Whip (both Kraft foods) could be purchased in sugar free varieties and both were gluten free.

I'm giving you guys the brand and a link to the coconut because I had a really tough time finding unsweetened flake coconut for this dessert. You can use whatever brand pleases you. To toast ANY coconut. Pre-heat your oven to 350*. Spread unsweetened coconut shavings, or sweetened shredded or flaked coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring once or twice, until golden, about 5 to 10 minutes. If toasting sweetened coconut, check and stir more frequently because the added sugar causes irregular browning.

A note about the prepared crust. If you don't need gluten free you can use any store bought shortbread crust you want. If you need gluten free you may have to make your own by crushing up some gluten free shortbread and mixing it with melted margarine.

Coconut Custard Pie

2 4-serving box Jell-O* brand sugar free cook & serve vanilla pudding

1 13.5 oz can Goya coconut milk

1 8 oz tub of Cool Whip free

1 prepared 8" shortbread crust

1 C Bob's Red Mill unsweetened, flaked coconut**, toasted

Follow the directions on the boxes of Jell-O for pie filling EXCEPT replace the milk with the 13.5 oz can of coconut milk. It will be thick but you want it thick. Just before you pour it into the prepared crust, stir in about 1/4-1/2 cup of the toasted coconut. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap straight down on the custard and place in the fridge for 4 or more hours.

Before serving slater the pie with the Cool Whip. I could lie and tell you that I only used half the tub but it was Easter and the pie screamed for loft! Scatter the remaining toasted coconut over the pie to garnish and serve.

Those that ate the pie, loved the pie! The rest of us (those without dietary restrictions) ate Chocolate Pudding Pop Pie (that was good too)!

*JELL-O is a registered trademark of Kraft Foods. Kraft Foods is not affiliated with this blog.

* Bob's Red Mill is not affiliated with this blog.

Food Cheats: Just Like Tomato Sauce From Scratch

I hope to make Food Cheats a semi-regular feature here at Our House. There are tons of food sites out there with phenomenal gourmet recipes but truth be told there are times when even the best of us have zero time to give in the kitchen, not to mention that many of the recipes have costly ingredients that aren't always in a family budget. Over the years I have developed more than a few of what I call "food cheats" using ingredients right from my pantry. Most of these cheats are so good people swear they must be "from scratch recipes" or that I slaved all day. Neither of these things are true. Case in point my basic tomato sauce.

1 jar of Prego Fresh Mushroom Italian Sauce
1 28 oz jar of crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can College Inn Light & Fat Free Chicken Broth
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
Meatballs, sausage or other meat optional

In a large saucepan combines all the liquid ingredients, garlic and Parmesan cheese, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer uncovered for about an hour. If I am going to add any meat I do it after the hour mark and let it simmer another hour. The longer you let it simmer, the thicker the sauce gets. And just like most other tomato based sauces, it's better the second day.

I use this sauce in everything from simple noodles and sauce to lasagna to stuffed peppers and even in my stuffed cabbage. It's great for subs, homemade pizza and can't be beat when you make it with meatballs. It tastes like you slaved away when all you really did was throw it all in a pot and leave it alone. I've even made this sauce in a crock pot on low and let it go all day while I was out and about.

I've tried it with other brands of sauce and they just don't cook down as well. However, I've changed out the College Inn broth for homemade chicken stock when I've had some on hand and man alive was it good. Play around with your own favorite brands and I'm sure you'll find one that your family will call a winner and dub you Queen Of All Things Yummy for!