Vanilla Pudding Cake

From Andrea Lynn’s The I Love Trader Joe’s College Cookbook (Ulysses Press, 2011), this easy cake is soaked with delicious vanilla pudding for a super-moist dessert experience. Grandkids can help mix the batter, but adults should pour the hot pudding on top.

Ingredients:
1 (16-ounce) box Trader Joe’s Vanilla Cake and Baking Mix
1 3/4 cups milk, divided
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, divided
1 (3.39-ounce) box Trader Joe’s Instant Vanilla Pudding

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8- or 9-inch round pan with cooking spray.

2. Pour the cake mix into a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup milk and the oil, eggs, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Mix the ingredients with a whisk until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake until the cake is golden and the center springs back when touched, 45 to 60 minutes.

4. In a microwave-safe dish, microwave the remaining 1 1/14 cups milk on high until warm, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the pudding mix, stirring until the pudding is thick. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon zest.

5. Using a knife or chopstick, poke 15 to 20 holes in the cake. Slowly pour the hot pudding over the cake so it fills the holes and is absorbed by the cake. Let cool.

Serves 4 to 6

Excerpted from The I Love Trader Joe’s College Cookbook © 2011. Reprinted with permission of Ulysses Press.

Cake is great! We know you agree, so browse the Grandparents.com Recipe section for ideas like Chocolate Brownie Cake.