Cake Failure Turned Work-of-Art Trifle

I am a little rusty on my cake decorating.  If you followed me when I started this blog you remember my cakes at the time were looking more like this:

This is my cake on Thursday.  The cake turned out ok but the icing...well...you see what happened.  I have been told this happened because of the low fat butter and cream cheese I used.  If anyone knows, please tell me.  Cream cheese icing is what I was going for...with strawberries added.

I was to take this cake to work for Good Friday.  Keep in mind this happened Thursday at lunch so I wasn't sure exactly what to do.  I had plans that night.  When speaking with "the other Shelly" in my office,  it dawned on me.  TRIFLE!  Hunter was with me that night so we had a trifle lesson.  I obviously didn't describe it well when I described it because Hunter told me it sounded like a parfait!  Come to think of it, it is like a giant parfait, without the ice cream.  According to Wikipedia:

Trifle is a dessert dish made from thick (or often solidified) custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice or gelatin, and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in alternating layers.

I took my strawberry trifle recipe Mom makes using angel food cake and made it my own.  I must say, it turned out fabulous.  It had a strawberry shortcake theme.  SO I am calling it my

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

Layer 1 - Stawberry Cake (I used the Paula Dean Recipe)

Layer 2 - Cool whip (Yes, I used light even though that is what got me in trouble to begin with.)

Layer 3 - Pudding - 2.5 cups milk, large box vanilla pudding, and 8 oz of sour cream (trust me on this)
Repeat

Garnish the top with strawberries.  Hunter jumped in and helped with the decorating.  He even got creative with the icing-which tasted fabulous.

Brody wanted nothing to do with the strawberries.  Here he is snubbing the strawberry...or maybe it was the camera. :)

Who knows, maybe next time I will make this dessert on purpose!

Pioneer Woman - Book Signing

Ree Drummond, you might know her as The Pioneer Woman, came to the mall steps away from my office.  I am so thankful to Sarah for motivating me to go (I'm a little stressed with finals to say the least).  We had a blast.    It was my first book signing, ever!  She is exactly what I pictured, down to earth and a normal person.  I must imagine it has to be weird for her.   I believe we started our blogs at the same time (she may be 6 months before me) and even broke out to second blogs about cooking about the same time.  Needless to say, she is QUITE successful!  I think it is wonderful.   Maybe one day...