Harvest Cake

Now, don't faint, but this recipe contains cake mix. Why? Because there was a box of it hanging out in the pantry (leftover from a friend's cake request) and I didn't know what else to do with it. Certainly not bake straight up & eat. Ugh. I'm a cake snob, so don't be offended if you love cake mixes. I'm just being honest about things here at the EE, where plain cake doth not a dessert make.

Harvest Cake

Yellow cake mix
eggs, oil & water according to cake mix instructions
1/2 teaspoon vanilla butternut flavoring OR 2 drops LorAnn oil in vanilla butternut
1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 pitted dates
4 orange essence prunes
1 Tablespoon dried pineapple
1 Tablespoon dried cranberries
1 Tablespoon sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (ignore cake mix instructions).

Pour cake mix in mixing bowl. To this add:
Almonds, crumbled into pieces
Fruit, finely chopped
Brown sugar
Flavoring

Stir around to distribute ingredients.
Add eggs, oil, & water according to the cake mix instructions.
Stir everything together & pour into a greased cake pan.

Baking time is usually a few minutes longer than the time suggested on the package because the cake is being baked at a lower temperature. Do the toothpick test at the minimum time & continue baking accordingly.

If you want, a glaze made with confectioner sugar, milk, and flavoring can be poured over the top while the cake is still warm.
Another option is powdered sugar sprinkled on the top of the cake once it has cooled.
This cake is very moist & sweet, so it tastes good without anything additional!