Instead of snow, let's talk about coffee cake!

I'm not talking about snow...I'm not! I'm not going to mention that we got 8 inches yesterday and it is still snowing... I'm not going to mention that my car (a Suburban, for goodness sakes!) got STUCK in the grocery store parking lot this morning and the manager had to hook me up to his truck to pull me out. (Nor will I mention that I wasn't the only one stuck and that he was just driving around the parking lot pulling people out!) I just can't talk about the never-ending snow anymore, so don't ask me!

So, let's talk about something fun, instead. Every Saturday night we host Game Night, where the neighbors and their kids are invited to come in and sit down, play some games, talk and laugh, and generally have a very inexpensive good time. We've played Pictionary, Five Crowns, Quiddler, and Trivial Pursuit. We immediately got rid of Trivial Pursuit. Why? Because with all the useless information we collectively had, we couldn't get the darned answers! And we were even concentrating! So, bye-bye, Trivial Pursuit...

Anyway, an important part of Game Night is snacking. I make our friends be our guinea pigs for new recipes or just treat them to old favorites. This past Game Night, however, fell on our dear friend's birthday, so I wanted a good treat. I was after something that wasn't too sweet, because, Lord knows, we are all sweeted out. I also needed flexibility because I wasn't sure how many people would show up. (Lots of people love S, so I needed to be ready for a crowd!) Finally, S's daughter has allergies, so lots of possibilties had to be eliminated.

I finally settled on this Fast Coffee Cake from Amy at The Mother Load and it was awesome!

Fast Coffee Cake

1 package vanilla instant pudding*
1 package yellow cake mix
½ cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup orange juice

Mix these ingredients together and then swirl the following through the cake batter 1/3 c. sugar, 4 t. cinnamon, 4 t. sesame seeds (optional). Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees in a well-greased and floured bundt pan. Allow cake to cool for 45-60 minutes in pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

*She didn't clarify, but I use the small one.

UPDATED** I leave out the sesame seeds and instead of swirling the sugar and cinnamon in, I put half the cake mix in the pan, then pour the sugar/cinnamon in all around, then put in the other half of the cake mix. It turns out beautifully.


How easy is that?! Isn't it terrific and it presents so beautifully. Depending upon how many people you serve, you can slice a bundt cake very thinly or have big, huge slices. Best of all, it can be really inexpensive. I wait until cake mixes are on sale for $1 and the Albertson's pudding mix was $.50 and I always have everything else on hand. What can I say, I'm trying to be frugal.

Superman takes treat to his team every Friday and this one is a hit. You should definitely try it.