Cool Kids' Dessert - Lemon JELL-O Pudding Cake with Lemon Cool Whip Frosting

This #AddCoolWhip shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

My kids are so excited this week because they will finally get to meet and greet their new teachers. We already have the class lists but this will make it real for all of us. School is still 3 weeks away, but will bring big changes for both of them. My daughter starts Kindergarten and will be going half day. My son will be facing a full day of 1st grade this Fall. I want to make sure that I keep some yummy recipes up my sleeve as they brave these new waters and grow up so quickly. I know it will be both exciting and maybe a little scary for  them and they will work up quite an appetite.

Did you have a favorite after school treat?  I loved the sweet and simple treats after school. JELL-O pudding was always a favorite, made even more enjoyable with a little dollup of Cool Whip on top. I was inspired by those after school memories to make something I knew my children would get excited for - a Lemon JELL-O Pudding Cake with a Cool Whip and Pudding Frosting.

Cake is always a reason to celebrate around here, but by using these classic ingredients I have also made it super easy for this busy Mom to pull off. Not your typical tiered layer cake, this is as simple as a cupcake, but the kids will be over the moon to come home and see it.

I just needed a few simple ingredients and grabbed them on a recent trip into Walgreens. Actually I always like to have both Cool Whip and JELL-O Pudding Mix on hand for whenever the inspiration strikes.

You can grab a $1 OFF Coupon for Cool Whip and JELL-O Pudding Mix while supplies last. (SAVE $1.00 when you buy ONE (1) tub of COOL WHIP Topping (any size) and TWO (2) boxes of JELL-O Pudding Mix )

I have made this type of cake a few times. The flavors can be changed to suit your tastes, and the JELL-O Pudding Mix creates a very moist and flavorful cake. I do have to recommend the lemon though.

In order to create my little mini layer cakes I found these darling little pans. One set is of 3 tiny pans. Just a miniature version of a regular tiered layer cake. The other pan is just a mold of a 3 tier cake. Isn't that easy? No stacking or frosting between layers. After baking allow the cakes to cool then trim off the tops with a serrated knife.

Have you ever made a Cool Whip and JELL-O Pudding frosting? It makes the best frosting! While a buttercream can be thick and very sweet, this is so simple and full of flavor. Feel free to use your favorite JELL-O Pudding Mix. I chose lemon, but vanilla is a close second.

When everything is frosted, just refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

My kids love any chance to help in the kitchen so half of the fun for them was to decorate with an array of candied jimmies and sprinkles. My son went straight for the candy flowers.

The Cool Whip frosting is soft enough that all the little sparkles and candies stuck easily. No need to press anything in.

Behold the masterpeice my 4 and 6-year old created on their cake. I am pretty sure they would have used every single sprinkle in my decorating kit if I would have let them. But, they had a blast.

I also created one for my husband as an after work treat. Yeah, even busy parents appreciate delicious recipes.

Lemon JELL-O Pudding Cake with Lemon Cool Whip Frosting

You will Need:

Cake

• 1 box lemon cake mix
• 1 box (3.4oz) JELL-O Lemon Instant pudding Mix
• 1 cup canola oil
• ½ cup milk
• 1 c. sour cream
• 4 large eggs

Frosting

• 1/2 c. cold milk
• 1 (3.5 ounce) JELL-O Lemon Instant Pudding Mix
• 2 c. Cool Whip

• Assorted sprinkles, candies or jimmies for decorating

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, place a cookie sheet in the oven during heating. Grease all the cake pans well with cake release or non-stick spray.

In a stand mixer mix all the ingredients together except for the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Beat the cake batter on medium for 2 additional minutes. Divide your cake batter between your greased cake pans, place small pans on the cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until an toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely in the pans. Trim excess and then turn out onto a cooling rack. Wrap and let sit overnight.

When you are ready to frost the cakes, In a stand mixer beat the milk and JELL-O Pudding Mix till it starts to firm up. Fold in the Cool Whip and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Frost the cakes and decorate with assorted sprinkles, jimmies and candy. If making a tiered cake, insert a skewer in the middle while decorating so it holds together.

Enjoy!

I am not really sure if my kids enjoyed decorating or eating their cake more. My son tried to snag my husband's, but I wouldn't let him. We had so much fun this afternoon.

Wrapped tightly in cling wrap, I froze the remaining cakes to make up later. Won't my kids be surprised when we do this again after a long day of school? 

Check out more delicious recipes using Cool Whip on KraftRecipes.com.

How do you fit Cool Whip and JELL-O Pudding Mix into your kids' desserts?

The Training Wheels Are Off & Celebrating With #CoolWhipFrosting

I have a 5 and 3-year old. Our life is filled with little everyday moments to be cherished, celebrated and remembered. Right now my son is learning to ride his bike without training wheels. This is a huge step in his life and ours.

I always think of riding a bike as a simple thing. People often talk about things being easy to remember, "like riding a bicycle." But, after watching my son on his bike, I see it from a whole new perspective. My son gets so easily frustrated and wants to quit. My heart brakes for him when he says he's finished and wants to go inside. I want to share the love I had of riding my bike all around the neighborhood as a child with him.

My husband and I have very different teaching styles, but we both have the same goal. My son is ready to ride on his own and I wanted to show him how proud I am of all his hard work. A simple, "I'm so proud of you!" goes a long way, but today I wanted to do something extra special to celebrate this riding lesson.

My kids love it when I bake, but I don't always have time to make something special from scratch. To celebrate this everyday moment I wanted a fast and simple treat my 5-year old could make with me. This recipe ended up being so easy, he made it almost entirely by himself.

So we headed to our local Walmart for all the supplies I needed.

Have you tried the new #CoolWhipFrosting yet? I found it in the desserts and toppings area in the freezer section. In fact, it is right next to the other Cool Whip products. I was excited to see it came in 3 flavors, cream cheese, chocolate and vanilla. For this project I used the cream cheese, but picked up all 3 flavors to have ready in my freezer for next time we want to celebrate an everyday moment.

I was thrilled that the frostings were okay for my children to eat with their metabolic condition (PKU). That is why I usually keep Cool Whip topping on hand. It comes in handy as a dessert topping alternative.

You can follow my entire shopping trip in my Google+ album.

Because Fall is here and I love seasonal flavors, I chose a Pumpkin Cupcake recipe to make. This one is super easy because it uses a boxed mix base with only a few added ingredients. My kids love decorating their own cupcakes, but I made it a special treat for my son to help me make them.

At 5-years old my son is pretty comfortable in the kitchen. He broke the eggs himself, added the ingredients and even scraped down the sides of my mixing bowl. I operated the mixer and scooped batter into the cupcake liners.

The Cool Whip frosting is so easy to use! Just take it out and let it thaw on the counter. I used some to pipe onto my cupcakes with a ziplock bag. Just snip off a corner and gently squeeze. Since this was a simple everyday treat I didn't feel the need to even get out the decorating tips. I am thrilled at the frosting consistency. It was easy to mound and pipe.

I gave each child a knife, some candy leaves and a sugar pumpkin to use for decorating. The kids had no problem scooping or spreading the Cool Whip Frosting. 

The result? The frosting was a lighter and not overly sweet alternative to the traditionally heavy and rice version. I loved how it had the light taste and feel of regular Cool Whip topping. We all enjoyed the flavor and how it complimented the pumpkin and spices in the cupcakes.

Fast Pumpkin Cupcakes with 
Cream Cheese Cool Whip Frosting

You Will Need:

• 1 box yellow cake mix (plus the oil and eggs listed on the box directions)
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
• 1 tub Cream Cheese Cool Whip Frosting

• 
  
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 - 12 hole cupcake pans with liners and set aside.

Mix the cake ingredients, using the pumpkin puree in place of any water called for on the box. Use a muffin scoop to divide the batter between the pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Let cool completely before frosting with Cool Whip Frosting.

Find more great recipe ideas on the Kraft Recipe page. Also be sure to connect with Cool Whip on Facebook for product announcements and promotions.

*Disclaimer - I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Kraft Cool Whip.  #CoolWhipFrosting #CBias #SocialFabric