POKE!

Sweet Recipe Saturday

Seth's birthday was last week! Following tradition, it was time to crack open the recipe book to find his favorite birthday dessert. For as much as I love chocolate, Seth favors the fruitier desserts. They say opposites attract, right? Key lime is among his favorite dessert flavorings, so I decided to make a Key Lime Poke Cake. This "poke cake" concept is so versatile and easy to make, and the outcome is a deliciously moist and flavorful dessert. It also is a lot of fun to make and can even be a great way to get the kids involved. We got to enjoy the leftovers for an entire week after Seth's birthday, and it tasted just as good as the first piece thanks to the unique way it is made which allows it to stay fresh and not get stale. Give it a shot with your favorite combination! Happy Birthday babe :)

Key Lime Poke Cake

Ingredients
Cake
-1 box white cake mix
-1 1/4 cup water
-1 tbsp vegetable oil
-4 eggs

Key Lime Filling
-1 can sweetened condensed milk
-3/4 cup whipping cream
-1/2 cup key lime juice
-1 tsp grated lime peel

Frosting
-1 stick unsalted softened butter
-8 oz softened cream cheese
-2 tbsp key lime juice
-1 tsp grated lime peel
-4 cups powdered sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 for glass or 325 for dark/non-stick cake pans. Spray the bottom of a 9"x13" cake pan with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a mixer, combine all cake ingredients and mix on low for 30 seconds followed by medium for 2 minutes or until perfectly smooth. (If you do not have a mixer, electric hand-held beaters will work the same.)
3. Pour into cake pan and bake for 30min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for 5min. Meanwhile, find something in your kitchen that has a diameter of 1cm. Some wooden spoon handles, bar spoons, and candles are examples of perfectly sized items for the fun next step.
4. This is a perfect time to get the kids involved. With whatever kitchen tool you found that meets the above criteria, poke holes in the cake that go all the way to the bottom. You want at least 1 hole to be in each slice of cake, so they should be every 1/2" or so. (There is no limit to how many holes, so go crazy or be conservative!)
5. In a medium bowl, stir together all of the filling ingredients until well incorporated and in a pudding-like consistency. Pour filling over the entire cake using a spatula to spread and fill in all of the holes. There will be a lot, so continue to spread over the top of the cake until holes are completely full. There will still be some remaining on top. Refrigerate for at least 1hr so filling can set.
6. In the meantime, combine all of the frosting ingredients except for powdered sugar until fluffy. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time while continuously stirring until fluffy. Spread over cake.

*The strong flavor of the key lime makes this refreshing dessert perfect for summer!