Surprise Cake

My mother discovered this idea when she found pie filling in our cupboards along with a cake mix when I was a girl. Since that time it has been a family favorite and is most often requested as a birthday cake. The combinations are endless, such favorites in our home are chocolate cake with cherry pie filling and vanilla frosting and spice cake with apple pie filling with powdered sugar. For the holidays, you can use pumpkin pie filling and a spice cake. If using canned pumpkin, follow the directions to make the filling (i.e. spices, milk and eggs) before putting it on top of the spice cake.

Ingredients:

For Cake:

1 package favorite cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 can of favorite pie filling (note: do not use light syrup fillings, but low sugar is fine)

1 can of favorite frosting or a whipped cream frosting (easy recipe follows)

Directions:

For Cake:

1. Preheat oven according to cake mix directions for 9x13 pan

2. Coat 9x13 pan with cooking spray

3. Combine eggs, water, oil and cake mix according to package directions

4. Pour cake into 9x13 pan. Spread evenly,

5. Pour pie filling evenly across top of cake mix.

6. Bake for maximum time according to package directions.

7. Remove from oven and cool on rack. The pie filling will have disappeared into the cake.

8. When completely cool, frost with favorite frosting or with whipped cream frosting.

9. Cut to serve and enjoy

For Whipped Cream Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 8oz. tub of whipped cream (thawed)

1 1.5oz. box of favorite instant pudding (do not use cook and serve)

1 cup milk

¼ cup powdered sugar

Directions:

For Whipped Cream Frosting:

1. Combine pudding, powdered sugar and milk until well blended and just starting to thicken.

2. Fold in whipped cream until blending with pudding mixture.

3. Frost cold cake. It should be noted that if this frosting is being used, the cake must be kept refrigerated due to the whipped cream. It is not as sweet as canned frosting and lends the right amount of sweetness to the cake itself without being overly sweet.