This cake in not in my usual repertoire. I am not one to make a dessert made almost completely out of boxes and containers. However this is how my husband grew up, and when asked what cake he wanted for his birthday, he got a far away look in his eye and whispered “a bomb cake like my mom used to make for me.”
A bomb cake? He sort of explained it was layers of cake, fruit and pudding and then completely covered with whipping cream or Cool Whip. I vaguely remember my mother-n-law showing up with an enormous cake that slid all over the place and had fruit in it. It was a “Betty Crocker” kind of thing and didn’t make much of an impression on me. But what hubster wants I deliver!
So I did some research (this is a very old, 1970’s recipe), and fair warning, if you do as well, Google will think you are looking for yellow cake for bombs. SO to help you avoid being on some crazy CIA watch list, I am posting this recipe here to help you out. I’m a helper.
I help.
Anywhoo – this cake actually turned out really yummy. It feels like a trifle in cake form.
You slice the cakes horizontally to thin out the layers so they are not too heavy on the pudding and the pudding doesn’t spill out. And the extra slices of cake I wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and stored in the freezer to make another cake down the road (or cake pops). I also made the pudding thicker by using a touch less milk than the package directions indicated.
This cake is a bit of production, but it is worth it, and you will have extra to enjoy later in the week-and extra cake in the freezer to play with later!
Atomic Bomb Cake
Ingredients
1 box yellow butter cake (or banana)
1 box white cake
1 box chocolate cake
(water, eggs, oil and/or softened butter-depending on the instructions on your box cakes)
1 box each chocolate, banana cream and vanilla instant pudding (vanilla is optional)
milk for your pudding instructions
16 oz. fresh strawberries, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
1 13.5 oz. container strawberry glaze
1 jar chocolate fudge ice cream topping
2-3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1 large 12 oz. container Cool Whip (or 1 quart whipping cream, whipped into stiff peaks and chilled)
Extra supplies:
3 13 x 9 disposable square pans (unless you have that many pans on hand), non stick cooking spray, serrated knife, bowls for pudding
Directions
Spray down 3 13 x 9 square pans. Preheat oven to 350˚ (or whatever the cake mix directions state).
Prepare all three cake mixes according to package directions and pour into your waiting pans.
Once baked, cool pans on wire racks then invert the cakes onto a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the cakes horizontally at the center. Wrap half of each cake and freeze. Reserve the other.
Meanwhile make the pudding according to package directions EXCEPT use 1 3/4 cups milk versus 2 cups. Chill pudding until set. The vanilla pudding for the strawberry layer is optional.
Meanwhile, mix the strawberry pieces with the glaze and set aside. Slice the bananas and set aside. And finally gently heat the fudge topping so that you can easily spread it.
Have all your ingredients mise en place and begin assembling the bomb cake, using whatever platter you will be serving it on.
Start with the white cake layer. Spread vanilla pudding if you are using it. Then spoon the strawberry in an even layer on top of the vanilla pudding or right on the white cake. Then gently place the butter yellow cake (or banana cake) on top of the strawberries.
Spread the banana pudding evenly on top, then place the banana slices evenly apart across the layer on top of the pudding. Gently place the chocolate layer on top.
Spread a layer of chocolate fudge topping evenly on top of the cake. Then spread the chocolate pudding on top.
Frost the top and sides with Cool Whip or whipped cream. Chill cake until serving.
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Flora Caputo
Flora is an award-winning creative director in Chicago turned food and lifestyle blogger extraordinaire. She is also author to the popular BEE NATIVE! gardening book series and various children's books that celebrate the wonder and hard work of bees and butterflies. Her blog and social spaces inspire thousands to create, learn, cook, grow, and craft, making their world lovelier one pixel/petal/seed/bite/stitch/brushstroke at a time. Follow her on all the social spaces, YouTube, and Amazon, and get creative!
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