Blackberry & Lemon Cream Cake

I made this super simple cake for Owen's 2nd Birthday. The flavors are fresh, sweet, and complementary. The best thing about this cake though, is that the possibilities are endless. See below for how you can customize it to your taste or a specific occasion.

Ingredients
1 Yellow Cake Mix, baked as directed*
1 lg. Vanilla Pudding Mix*
1 c milk
1 8 oz. tub of Lite Cool Whip
Zest of one small lemon*
Juice of one small lemon*
Fresh Blackberries*


Directions
Cool cakes completely over a wire rack. Using a serrated bread knife, use a gentle see-sawing motion to slice the top off each cake to create even layers.

Using a wire whisk, mix the pudding mix and the milk. Mixture will be grainy and thick.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the tub of Cool Whip until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Do not overwork.

Lastly, fold in the zest and juice, and then cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Place one cake layer cut-side down on your decorative plate or cake stand. Using a rubber spatula, place several dollops of your cream on top and gently smooth to the edges. Cream should be 1/4" - 1/2" thick.

Gently place the second layer cut-side down. Repeat with the cream, using the rest of the mixture. Top with fruit or other topping.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes:
Be sure to refrigerate leftovers.

Items with an asterisk indicate items that you can substitute with other items. Think of flavor combinations that would work well together. For example:

• Chocolate Cake + Vanilla or Chocolate Pudding + Grated Chocolate (or chocolate chips) + Fresh Strawberries
• Coconut Cake + Coconut Pudding + Lime Zest + Juice of a Lime + Fresh Toasted Coconut & Sliced Kiwi's
• Dark Chocolate Cake + Oreo Cookie Pudding + Crumbled Oreo Cookie