Monday, August 11, 2008

Let Them Eat Cake!

Sometimes a post will just writes itself. Today is one of those times.

I went to visit my mom today and there on her kitchen counter sat a tasty culinary treat. When she told me what the recipe was, I thought to myself, self, you've got to be kidding me, there is no way on earth this could possible produce anything remotely edible. I freely and openly admit I was 100% wrong! There, I said it and you read it. (Just for the record, that's the first time I've ever been wrong) ...stop laughing!...no really, stop!

While enjoying a piece of the cake she had made she proceeded to tell me the story of how she went about making it and how her version was, shall I say, slightly different than the original recipe. Personally, I think it's probably better the way she made it.

So without further a do, I will share with you the email written by my mom, that awaited my arrival at home this afternoon.


~~~
DUMP CAKE

1 Large can crushed pineapple
1 Can cherry pie filling
1 Yellow cake mix
1 1/2 Cube butter
3/4 Cup chopped walnuts


Directions:

Pour can of pineapple (including juice) into a 9x13 baking dish, spreading evenly over the bottom of the dish.
Spread can of cherry pie filling over the pineapple.
Pour box of cake mix (dry) over the fruit mixture.
Slice butter and add slices evenly over the cake mix until most all the mix is covered.
Top with chopped nuts.
Bake at 350 degrees about an hour -- until the top is brown and bubbly.
Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top.

OR

DUMB CAKE

Same ingredients as above, except:

At home, realizing that you are 15 miles from the nearest grocery store, when opening the can of pineapple, look with shock at the contents and see that you bought pineapple tidbits, instead of crushed pineapple. Toss the wrong kind of pineapple in the food processor, whir it 'till you think it has the consistency of crushed pineapple. Dump it into the baking dish, look at it and think to yourself, "Yuk, I whirred a bit too long and this looks like throw-up."

Quickly, before anyone notices, open the can of cherry pie filling so you can cover up the throw-up looking pineapple. Realize that you didn't read the recipe very carefully and you bought a can of cherries, not a can of cherry pie filling. Notice that about half the can is filled with cherries while the other half is juice. Figure, "what the hell, that dry cake mix is going to need some moisture," so include about half the cherry juice as you spread the cherries over the pineapple.

Open the box of cake mix and spread it semi-evenly over the nasty looking fruit, just do whatever you need to do to hide it.

Slice the butter and place the slices over the dry cake mix, pretty much covering the whole mess.

Look in the freezer for the walnuts you ALWAYS have on hand. Cuss as you discover you have only about a quarter of a cup of nuts along with a handful of nut dust (or whatever it is that remains at the bottom of a package of walnuts. Look further until you find the partial package of pecans you forgot were there. Chop whatever nuts you've managed to scrounge from the freezer and spread them over the top.

Pray that you have not just wasted about $7.00 worth of ingredients as you pop the dish into a 350 degree oven. Bake it for about an hour, 'till the top is brown and bubbly.

When it's cool enough so it won't burn your mouth off, taste it and say, "Well, I'll be damned. This is actually good."

Serve it topped with whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream because it won't be near fattening enough with just the butter and whatever sugar is in the cake mix and the canned fruit. Avoid stepping on the bathroom scales for a couple of days.


Love from your Psycho Mom

~~~



Now do yourself a favor and give this a whirl and I would go with her version too. I'm pretty sure the pie filling would make it too sweet, and the pecans were tasty in it, and the pineapple was just right, and the name is better and...

You get the idea.

27 comments:

Jay said...

Well I have to admit that it might not be easy to convince myself to eat "DUMP" anything. But, that does actually sound kinda yummy. I love pineapple.

Jeff B said...

Jay- Gong!!! Guess that's why the name DUMB cake sounds so good by comparrison.

none said...

Damn that sounds good!

Kimmie said...

Thank You Jeff and Your Momma too! I am going to have to make this, its sounds Yummy! I love pinapple also. :-)

Hugs,
Kimmie

Akelamalu said...

LOL Your Mom sounds like my kinda woman! What she did is called improvisation and the result was delish, who could ask for more!

buffalodick said...

My last post was about using what you've got when you're out of what you need! Sounds like a winner!

CrystalChick said...

They both sound absolutely delicious! Thanks to you and Mom for the recipes!

Jeff B said...

Hammer- It's sort of a fruit crisp type of thing.

Kimmie- One of the nice features about it how easy it is too.

Aklamalu- If you've ever wondered where my sense of humor comes from, I think that questions has now been answered.

Buffalo- Exactly. This was one of those cases where improvisation was the key to success.

Crystalchick- Thank you and congrats again on your one year Blogiversary.

Desert Songbird said...

I laughed throughout the second recipe. It reminded me of someone else I know in the kitchen...ME!

Real Live Lesbian said...

I can't tell you how many times I've made this Dump Cake! And you can use whatever pie filling you have. Change up the cake mix to spice with apple pie filling. It just doesn't flippin' matter!

It's fabulous no matter what you do to it. But then again, it's mostly sugar, fruit, and butter. Top that with ice cream and it can do no wrong!

Loved your Mom's recipe! LOL

Jeni said...

Another instance where "Psycho Mom" steps in and saves the blogger's day, right Jeff?
I have a recipe similar to that but no pineapple in it- just cherry pie filling, cake mix and butter. It's good but I have to admit this one sounds much, much better! Remind me sometime to post a recipe I have for a great cake, easy to make and very tasty, moist and dense -called "Chop Suey Cake" which bakes up looking and tasting much like carrot cake. It's the only dessert recipe I have memorized since I have made it so often.

Jane said...

This sounds like something I need to make. The kids would love it. My man would love it. Hey wait a minute...if you could make this so could my man :))))))

PS: love the "nut dust" reference!

Sandee said...

Now I'm hungry. Thank. You. Very. Much. Have a great day. :)

Dianne said...

oh!! RLL's substitute apple pie filling with the rest of Mom's recipe is something I'm going to try.

I need to clean out the fridge and the pantry so maybe I'll make a few.

nitebyrd said...

The "Dumb Cake" sounds great! Nut dust ... I find this term hysterically funny. Thanks, Jeff's Mom and Jeff.

Jeff B said...

Songbird- So you're saying you are not exactly the Julia Childs of Arizona eh?

Real LL- If I didn't detest cooked apples of any type, I'd say that sounds good. You're right though, substitutions can maker this pretty versatile.

Jeni- Chop suey cake? Sounds interesting. Hope you'll share it with us.

Jane- This one is pretty much fool proof.

Sandee- the beautiful thing is, within about an hour you can have the finished product sitting on you counter.

Dianne- Let me know what kind of combinations you come up with. Just make sure you don't use that rotten head of cauliflower in the back of the vegetable drawer.

Nitebyrd- That term does cause one to tee hee a bit.

Sandi McBride said...

Okay just when I was needing a good laugh, you really came through Jeff my boy. I'm reading and choking and laughing and peeing myself and remembering the first dump cake I ever made and choking some more and well, thanks for that Jeff...you really know how to cheer a girl up!
hugs
Sandi

Jeff B said...

Sandi- I wish I could take credit for the messing of yourself, but my mom was the author of that reworked recipe. None the less, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Rhea said...

Well, I'm not much of a cook, but that sounds interesting...dumb cake. lol

Dump. You said dump. lol

Travis Cody said...

Now you know me...I never pause at an offer to eat CAKE. But I did look askance at that recipe.

However, knowing you're culinary pallet, I'll have a large slice of that very odd CAKE.

Jules~ said...

that is hilarious. I have made dump cake before but I like your mom's way of doibng things much better. I tend to always question recipes anyway and figure there has to be an easier way than what is suggested.

Jeff B said...

Rhea- It doesn't get much easier than this one.

Travis- Like you, I was a bit puzzled about this recipe, but alas it's pretty darn good for something so simple to make.

Jules- I think this is one of those intances where the name of the cake will forever be changed in our family. Then many years later when one of the great grandchildren asks about where the name came from, this story can be told again.

Mel said...

Yup--sounds like a keeper, that one.
The recipe and the mom.

I don't suppose she'd consider adoption...

katherine. said...

it does actually sound delicious...not psycho at all...

Jeff B said...

Mel- Yes on both accounts! and consider yourself part of the family.

Katherine- The cake is pretty normal...mom on the other hand...
Bwahahaha

Odat said...

Just to let you know, I've been lurking...and I tried your Mom's recipe already....and it's out of this world!!!!
Thank her for me!!!!!
Peace

Jeff B said...

Odat- So glad to see you. I understand the need to walk away from the blog, but to be selfish, I sure am gonna miss you. Hope you'll continue to pop in here.

Peace my dear.