Happy Birthday She Cooks!
If you are popping over from Lysa’s blog or Karen’s Facebook Book Study page, WELCOME! You’ve stopped by on a great day. I’m having a little party!
She Cooks will be one year old this Saturday and that seems like a great reason to give away another awesome prize… and to bake a cake 
I had the honor of baking a really fun Sweet Sixteen birthday cake for Lysa’s daughter, Ashley, a few weeks ago. The cake took hours to bake, assemble and decorate but it truly was a labor of love. Doing something extra special for the people you care about is my way of expressing love. Ashley was happy. Lysa was happy. All of the party guests were happy. Their happiness is what filled my heart.
But special occasion cakes do not have to be this elaborate to be special. Everything that comes from my kitchen is made with love, regardless of the amount of time involved. Today I am sharing a much simpler cake recipe with you. It’s a recipe that put smiles on sweet little faces (big kids and little kids), without hours of labor. And, lets be honest, we don’t always have time to create over-the-top centerpiece cakes!
Before I share a very simple but yummy recipe for Lime Poke Cake, let’s take a moment to celebrate She Cooks’ birthday!
This occasion is worthy of a great giveaway! To help you create a party of your own, I am giving away an awesome cupcake prize package. I think cupcakes just look like a party! You can get as creative as you want with them and this package is a great start. I have the pan, liners, idea book, display, sprinkles, etc.
Enter to win this party package by commenting on this post. Share a favorite occasion to celebrate! Think outside the box. I love to hear what “occasions” people celebrate that are not typical. My mom was an only child so her mother celebrated her “halfy birthday” every year (she got two birthdays!). You may celebrate a first kiss, a team win, a team loss (because we are joyful in all circumstances), a lost tooth, etc. We can find something to celebrate every day if are mindful of our blessings! The winner will be announced on Monday!
OK – here’s the recipe I promised. This is super easy and very cool and refreshing on these hot summer days. Feel free to switch out the lime juice and zest with lemon juice and zest. They are equally delicious. Just remember to adjust the food coloring accordingly
Lime Poke Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 5 drops green food coloring
- 1-2 drops yellow food coloring
- 1 8-ounce container Cool Whip
- key limes for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together cake mix, water, oil and eggs for two minutes on medium speed.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set on a wire rack and cool for 5-10 minutes.
Take the end of a wooden spoon an poke holes throughout the top of the cake at 1/2 inch intervals. Do not go all the way to the bottom.
In a small bowl, mix together the heavy cream, sweetened condensed mil, lime juice, zest, and food coloring. Pour over the cake, spreading with a spatula to force the mixture into the holes. (You will still have a thin layer on top.)
Place the cake in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Remove from refrigerator and spread Cool Whip over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. (This is best if made early in the day or the night before serving.)
To serve, cut into squares and garnish with a slice of key lime (if desired).
Serves 12
Praying you have an abundance of occasions to celebrate!
P.S. Today I am a guest on Karen’s Book Study Page. I will be answering questions about recipes, kitchen organization, short cut tips, or whatever is else might be on your mind. Pop over! I would love to chat with you!
P.S.S. I spent this past weekend coming up with a dozen dessert recipes that are under 200 calories! My 17-year-old son tasted three of them and he had no idea they were low cal! In fact, he keeps requesting them! I am working to get the recipes and photos organized on a free pdf that you can grab on Lysa’s Made to Crave site. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s up
Sweetest Blessings,
LeAnn
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What a beautiful cake. I’m glad I found your blog. We love to celebrate all occasions. Of course, the usual like birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries. But also, first or last day of school, making a team, or just because days. I love to surprise my 15 year old with cakes just because I love him. My 5 year old and I are always baking a new treat. She’s my big helper and aspiring baker.
We have never done this , but it would be fun to celebrate days like first day of summer , first day of spring , fall and winter …. so I should get started on this for the first day of fall
This reminds me of the 70′s poke cakes using jello. I’m sure this is even tastier.
I love to bake, and just haven’t had the time recently – love the idea of finding other than normal reasons! I will have to start thinking on that one~
We always make a birthday cake or cupcakes for Jesus and sing “Happy Birthday to Jesus” every Christmas Eve.
We used to celebrate any special happening for our children when they were little. I try to send them goodies in the mail now that they are grown. They look forward to the special suprises. They never know when mom and dad will send them.
What a cute awesome blog! So glad I found you I’m always looking for new ideas and tasty treats for my 4 kids and we are already “bored” this summer, so I’m trying to get my daughter in the kitchen more. Our biggest event of the year is coming up in Sept and the cupcake prize would be awesome in helping us celebrate! I have 3 of 4 of my kids birthdays all at once. I have twins that will be 8 on Sept 15th and my youngest will be 3 on Sept 9th so it’s always a big shin-dig. We also like to celebrate our “born again” birthdays the day we asked Jesus in our heart!
Can’t wait to make the Lime Poke Cake – sounds yummy and so perfect for summer. We recently celebrated the last baseball and softball games for my kids. It is a celebration of a great season played by both teams – and a little bit of relief on my part that the running and busy evenings are ending. Bring on the summertime! This is our first week on break as we added extra days due to an ice storm this winter. We are celebrating our more relaxed schedule too!
Thanks so much for this post. The cake is amazing and it’s nice to see more simple recipes for those of us who are not the best chefs. I think one of my favorite celebrations is that of a nice evening thunderstorm. Now, usually, we don’t make cupcakes. But, it is so nice to have a nice warm bowl of chili during the cold months or something yummy during the summer months. But, most importantly, you can celebrate being with the ones you love and being safe and loved by a God who creates these storms to nourish our Earth and our souls
Can’t wait to try the new Lime Poke recipe!! I enjoy your website so much!! Both of my daughters are teachers and so is my daughter-in-law so we like to celebrate the end of the school year!!
And the beginning of their summer break!!
LeAnn
My boy’s school makes a big deal on the 100th day of school so we try and make the day continue. We make an even bigger deal on the last day of school saying GOOD-BYE to papers having a yummy dinner their choosing and yes dessert too!
We like to celebrate everything! We like to spread birthdays and Christmas celebrations over few days. We celebrate school starting and ending. I like to bake things for those celebrations but can’t do it every time because I would probably end up eating the bulk of it!
Have you tried the Lime Poke Cake with any other flavors? Sounds interesting!
My daughter has moved to California to be with her military husband so we missed a few special days while we were apart. When she came home for a visit we celebrated them together all at once, it was fun.
Thank you for the Lime Poke Cake recipe. My husband loves key lime pies and anything lime (so do my 3 sons), so this will be a new yummy recipe. I ALWAYS look forward to your emails popping up in my inbox.
Two weeks ago I made a 5 flavor pound cake to celebrate life and blessings as a dear friend of ours has stage 4 cancer. Celebrating the “smaller” things God gives us can be just as fun as celebrating the usual holiday celebrations.
As far as commenting on “celebrating” for the giveaway~ we like to celebrate anything and everything. I just made a decorated buttercream cake for Father’s Day. Previously, I made Red Velvet Whoopie Pies to celebrate summer break (I am a teacher
Also, Happy Birthday “She Cooks.” Thanks, LeAnne!!
My kids and I decided to make Mondays during the school year a celebration day of sorts. It was everyone’s least favorite day of the week, because it was back to school or work. So we would pick new foods or dessert that sounded fun and yummy to have for Monday dinner/dessert. It didn’t make Monday morning blues disappear completely, but it did give everyone something to be a little excited about and look forward to.
I love all things cupcake and am always trying out new cupcake recipes…who needs an excuse to bake with 5 hungry kids…I love to bake and find the slightest excuse to do so.
yuuumm! I love cake. One thing my dad has always made a habit of celebrating is just the first day of May. He always gets all 6 of us kids (and our spouses and our kids) a little package of goodies. Sometimes its candy and juice and cookies, then he throws in a special something for us. I remember growing up he got me a mug with my name on it from the goodwills…I think it probably costs him only a couple of dollars to do it, but its super special and we love it!
I love your blog, so happy to have found it! I’m definitely going to make the lime cake!!
I am celebrating the birth of my first two great-grandchildren this summer and would love to win your gift package.
We celebrate the last day of school! Hurray for summer!
Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try it out!
We celebrate the normal but this year also celebrated the ‘beginning of summer’ last weekend with friends. A very casual, fun get together for our families and a great excuse to enjoy great times!
I love, love, love, 4th of July. Everything about it. Did I mention I love the 4th of July?~
This cake recipe looks delicious!! Can’t wait to try it. Here in Wisconsin, we celebrate the first day of summer! Being so chilly the rest of the year, the warmer (dare I say, hot) days of summer are definitely something to celebrate! HAPPY FIRST YEAR BIRTHDAY LeAnn!! I love your blog!
I hate to celebrate my birthday, not because I get a year older but because “gifts” is so NOT my love language and I can be very disappointed in what people get me (yes, I know that’s horrible) and I am a truth-teller so I can not hide my feelings so well… and yet I love to give gifts and celebrate my children’s and husband’s birthday. There is one day I celebrate every year – or at least I have for the last 4 years… March 23, 2007… it’s the day I came to know who Christ is – to ask Him into my life as Lord and Savior. For me, that is my birthday – the day I was born (in my early 40s in biological years) into Christ’s family. I celebrate it every day because while 4 years may seem like a short time as I have been married for 20 years more than that and both my children are older than that, I can hardly remember what a day would be like without Christ in my life – and, thankfully, never will again. Then I celebrate the day my husband and daughter accepted Christ and look forward to my little one doing the same… that’s a birthday party I want to be at.
Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!
Happy 1st birthday, LeAnn. I know you said think outside the box when it comes to things we like to celebrate, but I tell you, nothing gets me more excited than my birthday. Each year I start counting down on January 1, and everyone knows it. Some of my facebook friends even teased me for starting “late” this year. Well, I’m already planning for birthday 2012. If the Lord wills I will be a whopping 40 years old, and I can’t wait to celebrate!! A cupcake prize package will help me celebrate in anticipation of the celebration to come!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! So proud of you and of all the work you are doing for our sweet Jesus. You are a blessing indeed!!!!
Congratulations! Happy Birthday She Cooks! I love the blog and make alot of the recipes thank you, thank you.
Happy 1st Birthday, LeAnn! Hope you have many more healthy and happy birthdays! I enjoyed your blog posting. I like to celebrate special occasions such as getting a new job, the first day of a new season, or any other memorable event in my life.
What a beautiful cake! I love to bake but don’t always have the time. I do try to make the time to bake for special days and special milestones in our life. We love to celebrate milestones in our family and this year (as well as last year) we are celebrating quite a few of them. First, we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, then both my husband and I turned 50, and in May we celebrated our only child’s graduation from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christ! Many happy blessful moments in our life. God has blessed our family in so many different ways.
My husband and I like to celebrate when we first met which was on the 6th of the month. We also celebrate the 6th of each month as it marks another month of knowing each other. We also happened to get married on the 6th. We didn’t plan on that it just worked out that way.
My fiance, soon to be husband July 2, and I live 1700 miles apart. We celebrate being together every time we see each other, which is about every 6 weeks. We have been doing this for 1 1/2 years. In between, visits I make a countdown clock till the next time we get to be together…its a little corny (just ask my friends-the closer it gets the more frequently I post the countdown or text it)! We will continue our distance relationship/marriage for a couple more years..so I see many celebrations in my future.
I am so glad I found your blog…cooking for my family and friends is how I love them! Truly enjoying your message…thank you.
Instead of cookies for Santa, we make a birthday cake for Jesus to leave for Santa so he will know the real reason we are celebrating Christmas!
I celebrate Fridays! I love Fridays – the end of the work week, more time with family, and I just love them. I often take baking in to work on Fridays – sometimes muffins, sometimes a loaf or two, and sometimes a cake. Gotta love those Fridays!
Happy Birthday She Cooks. Im so excited. I cant wait to make that Key Lime receipe and I have a perfect celebration. July is a busy month for me and my children. My second son will be 10 on the 18th, I receieved a clean bill of health on the 22nd of June and my ex-sweetie and father of my children will be coming home-he has been away for a year.
Happy Birthday She Cooks. Im so excited. I cant wait to make that Lime Poke cake receipe and I have a perfect celebration. July is a busy month for me and my children. My second son will be 10 on the 18th, I receieved a clean bill of health on the 22nd of June and my ex-sweetie and father of my children will be coming home-he has been away for a year.
I have a special celebration in my life now. I recently found my biological sister. So, we now have each others birthdays to celebrate, but I also celebrate the day that I found her. She is an amazing person and we are having a wonderful time getting to know our children and being blessed to celebrate our neices and nephews birthdays and small victories in their lives. God is so good to us!
My youngest daughter was very slow to lose her baby teeth, almost 2 years past the normal time her friend were losing theirs. She would cry to me when they would lose a tooth and were visited by “the tooth fairy”. When she finally lost that first tooth, I had a party for her with tooth themes games, cake, etc.
We are a homeschooling family and celebrate the 100th day of school and other days that relate to what we are studying or doing. Last year, a dear friend went to 11 different countries on a mission trip and each month, we cooked something from that country. A great reminder from you today to find unusual things to celebrate!
Hi LeAnn,
I’m celebrating with you on your 1st year…Happy Birthday!! I love your site and am thrilled every time I receive a new post from you in my email!
My dad passed away almost twenty years ago and each year on his birthday, I try to celebrate by preparing one of his favorite dishes. Yesterday happened to be his birthday and we had homemade French Onion Soup and his favorite chocolate chip cookies. I do the same thing for my grandmother too!
Take care and know you’re in my thoughts and prayers.
Much love to you and your son!
Love that cake you made, you are so talented!
We have cakes or cupcakes for all sorts of celebrations!
We celebrate my Son’s half birthday which is Feb 2nd so it is also Ground Hog Day. I buy him half a cake, and we buy a card and cut it in half too, and the envelope as well. He loves this day more than the Aug. 2nd birthday I think. And we tell him Happy Ground Hog birthday all day on Feb. 2nd too.
We LOVE birthdays and celebrations!! There are 14 kids between my sister, brother and I and we have family gatherings all the time for birthdays. Just about every month has a birthday or two or three in it.
That still doesn’t stop us from having a spur of the moment un-birthday party any day too! We love to make fun cakes and cupcakes!
Amazing job on the cake for Lysa’s daughter!!!
Blessings,
Caty
I love Christmas and everything about it. So the past few years my daughters (6 and
and I decided to have a Christmas in July party. We pick a day when we have nothing planned so we can have plenty of time to prepare for our “celebration.” We decorate cookies, make homemade hot chocolate with marshmallows, and some type of fun snack food. Then we put on our winter pajamas, fuzzy robes, and watch Christmas movies while enjoying our specially made Christmas goodies. It is a fun day and a nice break from the craziness of summer. We have already started preparing for this year’s celebration.
We celebrate our cats’ birthdays. Why not? Thery are family members!
Wow, what a beautiful cake when my daughter turns 16 I hope she can have a funky cake like this one. Amazing!!!!
We just love cupcakes! Every other week, my 3 yo son and I pick a recipe for cupcakes and bale and decorate them. He love s it as much as I do and he already knows when the day is coming
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