A midwestern salad that isn't really a salad. Tastes like a tangy orange creamsicle popsicle, in fluff salad form. Great for summer or Halloween/Fall Festivals.
Ingredients
6 oz box orange gelatin
2 3.4 oz box vanilla pudding mix
2 8 oz tubs cool whip
3 15oz cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 bag mini marshmallows
2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
In a large mixing bowl, mix the gelatin and boiling water until fully dissolved. Add the cold water. Put in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
Pull bowl from fridge and whisk in pudding mixture until smooth. Cover or put on lid. Put it back in the fridge for another 15-20 minutes.
Pull bowl and whisk the mixture. Fold in the cool whip and mini marshmallows until light orange and uniform. Fold in the oranges gently, so the majority stay intact.
Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve. Optional: Reserve a cup of the marshmallows and one can's worth of oranges to garnish before serving.
Eldest child found this recipe on Pinterest, did some tweaks, made cupcakes instead of a sheet cake, and they were a hit at the office pot luck and at home aka there were none left over when Eldest came home. Ironically, Eldest is the only one who does not care for the taste. "Too coffee forward", but then, she's a "I'll have a little coffee with my cream and sugar" kind of gal.
Cake
Ingredients
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup hot coffee
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a medium mixing bowl, beat two eggs. Continue beating while adding the sugar gradually until fully combined and a fluffy pale yellow. Continue beating while adding the hot coffee and vanilla. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until smooth.
Pour into a very well greased 9x13" pan, well greased Bundt pan, or well greased cupcake liners using a 1/3 cup measuring cup (made about 18 cupcakes). Emphasis on well greased. Cake will stick otherwise.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, or until done. Do not over bake. Set on cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting 1
Ingredients
1 lb/bag powdered sugar (also known as confectioners or icing sugar)
1/2 lb butter (1 cup/2 sticks), softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
Cream butter until light. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, then vanilla and salt. Beat until smooth and spreadable. Add a spoonful of milk if needed to thin the frosting.
Crumb Mixture to go with Frosting 1
Ingredients
1 lb ground walnuts
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
In a bowl, mix walnuts and crumbs together. Sprinkle over the frosted cake and gently press into the top.
Frosting 2
Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons coffee, or as needed
In a bowl, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and coffee until a thin syrup. Add as much coffee as needed. Will be pale brown and smell vaguely like maple syrup. (I do not know why coffee plus vanilla and powdered sugar does this, but it does) Drizzle over the top of the fully cooled cake and let set. Crumb mixture optional.