Fresh Strawberry Cream Torte and Homemaking Linkup

Welcome to this week's Homemaking Linkup! Today I'm sharing a super delicious recipe that I adapted from one I used to make at Pampered Chef parties.  

Fresh Strawberry Cream Torte

16 oz. pound cake mix + ingredients to make the cake
1/2 c. water
3 oz. strawberry Jello-O
1/4 c. strawberry jam
2 Tbs. lemon juice
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/3 c. milk
12 oz. Cool Whip
3.4 oz. instant cheesecake pudding mix
1 kiwi
1 cup strawberries

Preheat oven to 400 and line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.  Prepare cake mix according to the directions on the package and spread evenly into prepared pan.  Bake about 15 minutes, until done and cool completely.

Once cake is cooled, boil water, add Jell-O, and stir until dissolved.  Whisk in jam until smooth.  Turn cake over onto a large cutting board and remove the parchment paper.  Prick the cake all over with a fork and then brush it evenly with all but a few tablespoons of the Jello-O mixture.  Slice about 1/4 inch from all edges of the cake and then cut it crosswise into 3 equal layers. 

Whisk cream cheese and lemon juice together until smooth, then whisk in milk.  Spoon Cool Whip over top of this mix but don't mix in.  Sprinkle with pudding mix and then mix it all up well.

Slice strawberries and kiwi.  Wanna learn a neat trick to peel a kiwi?  Slice off each end and then slide a spoon in between the peel and the fruit.  Run it all around the kiwi and the fruit will slide right out of the little jacket!

Place one cake piece on a serving plate and spread some filling mixture on top.  You can use a decorating tool to make the edges pretty, if you'd like.  Repeat with each layer.  Mix strawberries with remaining Jello-O mixture.  Arrange strawberries and kiwi on top of the cake.

Yum!

Thanks to Jann at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson for the feature!

Thanks so much to the girls at Think Tank Thursday for the feature!

Thanks to Jennifer at Hope Studios for the feature!



Look what Mom and I found the other day when we took the kids the kids to the library. It was growing right out of the trunk!

Here are some of my favorite posts from last week:

I completely fell in love with Shannon's Easter Dessert Party.  Isn't it gorgeous?!  Check it out at A Cozy Place Called Home.

I've been following the progress of Doni's Fabric and Lace Collage for a few weeks.  Now that's it's done, I think it has to be one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!  I want to make one!  See her amazing work at Faith, Grace, Crafts.

Thanks to everyone for the great posts!