Like Nailing Jell-O to the Wall

 

I  have this propensity to buy Jello.  There’s no reason for it, no one in our family likes it but I remember my mom having a stash of it which I think she never used either, so I always thought I should have a collection too.

I have one recipe, from my grandmother, that calls for raspberry Jell-O and I make this cranberry apple salad every Thanksgiving.  No one would ever suspect that lowly Jell-O was one of the ingredients.  The salad is delectable.

I offered to make a dessert for a baby shower that Meghan was hosting and craved something citrus-y.  I thought first about Lemon Bars, then I talked to my mom and she mentioned a lemon cake recipe in the family cook book and… it calls for Jell-O, lemon Jell-O.  Checking my pantry supply of Jello I did not find lemon but I did have lime and pistachio and raspberry and cherry… for some odd reason no lemon.

So I substituted the lime for the lemon and immediately saw why the lemon was the better choice; my cake turned a very chartreuse green, when it was done I flipped it onto a plate.  It calls for a lemon glaze not frosting so the chartreuse colored cake just sat there in all its glory screaming,  ”Lime Jell-O!”

Tentative at first the women at the shower passed it by and then a few adventurous women plunked a piece on their plates… and liked it a lot!

I then overheard two women talking about the cake and wondering,  ”What was in it, what gave it that glorious green color and very citrus-y taste.”  ”Not Jell-O,” one said, “Meghan would never use Jell-O.”  

No, but her mother would.

And actually it would make a fabulous St. Patrick’s Day cake!

Lemon Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix               3/4 C. water

1 pkg. lemon jello                4 eggs

3/4 C. vegatable oil       1 tsp. lemon extract

Topping:

6 Tbsp. lemon juice        1 2/3 C powdered sugar

Mix first four cake ingredients. Add eggs and lemon extract, beating well.

Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes in a 13X9 or bundt pan.

Make topping, while still hot (and in the pan) puncture top of cake with fork and drizzle topping on cake.

When slightly cooled invert bundt pan onto plate.  Cool completely and serve.