Jello Pudding Cake

This has always been a great summer dessert since it is a refrigerated cake. I'm doing this for dinners for the families I take Monday meals to...and of course, since I'm on a lemon kick, I did lemon cake, with lemon jello and lemon pudding/whipped cream frosting. I love all the combos of cake and jello. I really like chocolate cake with cherry jello and chocolate pudding/whipped cream frosting. I've also made strawberry chip cake with strawberry jello. Okay, okay, I think you get the idea......



Jello Cake
1 pkg. White or yellow cake mix (you're not limited!)
1 3-0z. pkg coordinating flavor jello


Topping:
1 Envelope Dream Whip®(2-2 1/2 cup yield)
1 pkg. instant pudding mix (4 serving size)
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 tsp. vanilla


Preheat oven to 350º


Mix and bake cake as directed on pkg. using a 13 x 9x 2 inch pan.


Dissolve jello in 3/4 cup boiling water. Add 1/2 cup cold water. Set aside, at room temperature.



Cool cake for 20 - 25 minutes.


Poke deep holes through top of warm cake (still in pan) with meat fork; spacing holes about 1/2 inch apart.


Slowly pour or spoon jello over cake, making sure it goes into the holes.


Refrigerate while preparing the topping.


Topping:
In a chilled, deep bowl, blend and whip Dream Whip; pudding mix, milk & vanilla until stiff (3 - 8 minutes).


Immediately frost cake.


Refrigerate cake -- store in refrigerator.


Unfrosted cake can be frozen!