Secondly, is that your grandkids will have a ton of fun making this cake with you.  What kid wouldn’t want to squirt red and blue into a cake?

And third, it is super easy to make and your grandkids will think you are amazing that you made it for them!

This also isn’t just for a patriotic holiday.  It’s perfect for any summer barbecue or backyard party.

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4th of July Poke Cake

Course 4th of July, Dessert, Holiday

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 -15

Author TGIF - This Grandma Is Fun

Ingredients

• Cake
  
• 1 white cake mix
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 small box 3.4 oz cherry gelatin - you will use ½ the package
• 1 small box 3.4 oz berry blue gelatin - you will use ½ the package
• 1 cup boiling water divided
• ½ cup cold water divided
• Frosting
  
• 8 oz container whipped topping, thawed
• 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• teaspoon vanilla extract
• Toppings
  
• Additional whipped topping
• Sprinkles
• Fruit

Instructions

• Cake
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
• Combine cake mix, eggs, water, oil and until smooth
• Spread evenly into baking dish, bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
• Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes
• Combine ½ of the package (about 2 tablespoons) red gelatin and ½ cup boiling water and stir about 2 minutes until dissolved, add ¼ cup cold water and stir to combine
• Using a wooden skewer or large fork, poke holes into cake about every 1/2 inch
• Combine ½ of the package (about 2 tablespoons) blue gelatin and ½ cup boiling water and stir about 2 minutes until dissolved, add ¼ cup cold water and stir to combine
• Carefully pour gelatin over the cake
• 
• Place in refrigerator at least 3 hours or overnight
• Frosting
  
• In a mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese until smooth
• Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth
• Fold in whipped topping until smooth
• 
• Spread over cake
• Store in refrigerator until ready to serve
• Store leftovers in refrigerator covered with plastic wrap
• Serve with additional whipped topping, sprinkles or fruit
• 
  
• Pro Tip:
• Add jello to squeeze bottles to make adding the jello to the holes in the cake easier.

Do you still want to poke something?  Here’s another poke cake for ya!

Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake

The post 4th of July Poke Cake appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

I am a city girl and have never grown anything in my life.

Six years ago, my husband and I moved to Utah and in the backyard of the house that we bought,

there was this….”plant”.

It didn’t really look like a shrub normally used in landscaping

and I was fairly certain that it wasn’t a weed,

so I had hubby come take a look at it before I yanked it out.

Growing up in Oregon, he knew exactly what it was.  He promptly broke off a stalk and

he started to…I couldn’t believe it….EAT IT!

That was my first exposure to rhubarb and now I LOVE my rhubarb plant and anxiously await harvest time.

Now that I knew what my “plant” is, I needed some rhubarb recipes.  I must admit that the word “dump” doesn’t always conjure up a wonderful mental image, but when I found this pin for Rhubarb Dump Cake from Grandparents Plus I knew that I wanted to try it because it looked so easy! And let me tell you, it didn’t disappoint.  So let’s get cooking with rhubarb!

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Rhubarb Dump Cake

Author Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 3-4 cups cut up rhubarb
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 4 oz package of Strawberry Jello
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Layer the cut up rhubarb in a greased 9x13 pan.
• Sprinkle the cup of sugar over the rhubarb and then sprinkle the strawberry jello on top of the sugar
• Pour the dry yellow cake mix over the rhubarb.
• Pour the 1 cup water over the cake mix and then lastly pour the melted butter.
• Do not stir.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

If you aren’t as lucky as me and don’t have a rhubarb plant in your backyard, luckily rhubarb can be bought frozen at any grocery store.  Which is a good thing because you are going to want to make this easy but scrumptious dessert!

This awesome post has been shared with Home Stories A to Z

The post Rhubarb Dump Cake appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.

I am so excited about how easy it is to make these individual mini Baked Alaska Ding Dongs! This is a perfect summer dessert you can have stashed in freezer and be at the ready. Individual Mini Baked Alaska Ding Dongs are Hostess Ding Dongs transformed into an elegant dessert. They will be the perfect treat on a hot day. Just 2-4 minutes in the oven or with a kitchen torch, and dessert is ready.

Check out how easy this is! Just put a scoop of ice cream on each Ding Dong and put it back into the freezer for 2-4 hours.Then whip up a meringue and lay it on thick! I mean it. My dad used to joke about how his little sister was so amazed by his shaving cream, that she emptied the whole can of Barbasol in the sink and was panicked trying to get it all down the drain before he would see that she had used it all to play with. The meringue reminded me shaving cream. It was fun to be a little messy with it. You can pipe it on with a star tip, and it will be beautiful. I preferred the fun and ease of spreading it all over and making pretty peaks.

These Individual Mini Baked Alaska Ding Dongs look so impressive and pretty. I made mine with cookies and cream ice cream because that is a favorite flavor in our house. But the big surprise came when I went to brown the meringue. I was so excited, kitchen torch in hand…and I burnt the first one. It takes a light touch and low flame to get a golden brown color. So it is a little slow. If you are making just one or two, the kitchen torch is the way to go. But if these are for a group, 500° F for 2-4 minutes browns them up perfectly. Just slide a metal offset spatula underneath and transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet, and they are ready to go in the oven.

This pin rocks!

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Individual Mini Baked Alaska Ding Dongs

This is a perfect summer dessert you can have stashed in freezer and be at the ready. Individual Mini Baked Alaska Ding Dongs are Hostess Ding Dongs transformed into an elegant dessert. They will be the perfect treat on a hot day. Just 2-4 minutes in the oven or with a kitchen torch, and dessert is ready.

Servings 10

Author Sherri @ Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

• 1 package 10 Hostess Ding Dong cream filled cupcakes
• 1 quart ice cream flavor of your choice
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• Take ice cream out of freezer and let soften 5-10 minutes.
• Unwrap Ding Dongs.
• Place Ding Dongs on parchment lined baking sheet and top with one scoop of ice cream.
• Place in freezer 2-5 hours until firm.
• Cook corn syrup and sugar over medium heat in small sauce pan until sugar is dissolved.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla to soft peaks.
• While continuing to whisk egg whites, begin adding sugar mixture in a slow steady stream. Continue whisking egg whites until they are glossy, shiny and stiff peaks. This will take around 5-7 minutes.
• With a small spatula, spread the meringue over the ice cream and cupcakes. Put it on thick! Swirl and pull away with spatula to create beautiful peaks.
• Return to the freezer for 1-2 hours or longer.
• To remove each individual mini Baked Alaska, slide an offset spatula under the cake and transfer.
• If using a kitchen torch, remove to a plate and use kitchen torch low and slow to brown the meringue.
• If using oven, preheat to 500° F and bake on a parchment lined cooking sheet about 4 minutes until meringue is browned.
• Your Individual Mini Baked Alaska Ding Dong is now ready to serve. Enjoy!

This awesome post has been shared with Homestories A to Z and Whipperberry.

The post Individual Mini Baked Alaska Ding Dongs appeared first on TGIF - This Grandma is Fun.