Sunday, February 27, 2011

I heart you Paula Dean...

I am a big fan of multitasking. Actually thats a lie, but if I didn't multitask nothing would ever get finished. Rarely am I only doing one thing at any given point, and this post will be no exception. 
We are going to try a "Girl Crush"/"What's Cook'n" mash-up featuring southern belle and butter queen Paula Deen. Admittedly I have a girl crush on Paula, but not in a tickle fight braid each others hair sort of way. No, I more picture the P-Dot and I getting all crunked up on whiskey sours and eating foods found only in the deep fried category. 
I love her big smile, her big laugh and the fact that she is a pull yourself up by your own boot straps sorta gal. That and her gravity defying hair.
So when I received the book Food Network Favorites: Recipes From Our All Star Chefs
my attention was immediately drawn to Paula's "Is it Really Better than Sex?" cake. Such a bold statement, sign me up. I tried this recipe first when we had guests over the Holidays. It was a success, although it was a homely thing, not like Paula's at all. So many wet ingredients, it kind've looked like it had previously enjoyed. I decided to give it another try this week but with a few modifications. I thought I might make it work better as a trifle sort of dish. But, first things first...



Ingredients:





  • 1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix, plus ingredients to prepare
  • 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 1 (3.4-ounce) box French vanilla pudding, plus ingredients to prepare
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup flaked, sweetened toasted coconut

(Like I said, Paula is not afraid of a little sugar or fat God love her)


Mix the cake batter and divide into two 8" pans, cook according to package instructions.


Spread sweetened flaked coconut onto pan and brown @350 for a few minutes. Keep careful watch on it, coconut burns fast - this time took me three tries to get it right.


While cake is cooking whip up the vanilla pudding - one small change, I used two packages because I was layering, and well because more is more.


Mix your sugar (I use brown simply because thats what I have and I think it makes a richer sauce) and your can of crushed pineapple. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat.


Break up the first cake into the bottom of a glass bowl. The beauty of my way is in the imperfection, there is no wrong way to crumble and no need to be delicate. Ladle half of the hot pineapple mixture over the crumbled cake.



 Next is the vanilla pudding layer, but first whip up 500ml of heavy cream and set aside.  Add a generous layer of pudding on top of the cake, then a nice thick layer of whipped cream on top of that...you see where I am going with this.



Crumble the remaining cake ontop, evenly distribute the last of the pineapple sugar mix.


Add a final layer of pudding and top with the remaining whipped cream. Bedazzle with your toasted coconut and shazam - Better than Sex in a Bowl.


Of the men surveyed at the table all agreed that the cake was awesome, but not better than sex. The women really really liked the cake. Paula if you ever read this I hope you like the modifications, and I will keep a bottle of bourbon on hand just in casies...xo









5 comments:

  1. I can attest to the sexiness of this cake. Of course, it helped that Rachel served it in bowls larger than most 2 year old. A glutton's dream. I ate every last bit.

    I suggest you send Paula an invite- how could she say no?!

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  2. i am a fan of the big bowl...i just don't want any left over, for the obvious reason that i will end up eating it all. you were a champ emma:)
    you are right, i am going to send it to her right now...i can already taste the jalepeno poppers.

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  3. I just found your blog through the Marion House Book. LOVED your studio, and LOVE the idea of this cake! I'll be back :)

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  4. OMG...another big mash-up of yum in the "Rachel bowl" as it is now known at our house. We are still recovering from the leftovers of "death by red velvet" in that bowl, which was sort of passed around to every member entering the holiday household like Kim Kardashian on club night. I pray that this bowl makes it's return...I promise I will cook a 5-star dinner from start to finish chez moi, and supply bourbon all nitey-nite if you just bring this morsel. Way to re-mount that baking stallion like Joan Of Arc, girlfriend. xo

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  5. Add a banana layer and it will definitely live up to its name.

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