Quick and Easy Valentine's Day Cake

This recipe works great for any holiday, but is especially good for Valentines Day. I have heart shaped pans. By varying the flavor of the jello, the color of the cake can be changed. - Green for St. Patrick's Day, Red for Valentines, Purple for Easter, Orange for Halloween. The color won't be dark, but it will be pretty. White cake mix gives a truer color than yellow cake mix, but yellow gives a richer orange.

This cake is as quick and easy as a regular box cake, but is more moist and flavorful. If you don't have shaped pans, you can make it in regular cake pans and sprinkle powdered sugar over a doily of an appropriate shape. This is harder than it sounds. But really it doesn't need the additional sweetness of icing. If you use jam or jelly between the layers of the cake, you can skip making icing all together. Use the same flavor jam as the jello mix. If you want the liquid from the jam to seep into the cake, poke some holes in the top and bottom layers before you spread the jam between them. If you want it to dribble over the sides, then spread it thickly around the edges. The cooking time comes right off the cake mix box, but check to see if the cake springs back to be sure it is done.

Put in mixer:
½ cup cooking oil
4 eggs or 1 cup egg beaters
¾ cup water
Add 1 white or yellow cake mix
1 3 oz package of jello

Beat 3 minutes on medium speed, or until smooth and creamy.

Pour batter into greased, but not floured, pan and bake at 350 degrees according to time on cake is package. Test for doneness in usual way.

Cool in pan for 15 minutes then cool on cake rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or ice with your favorite icing.