TWINKIE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE SHORTCAKE

I’m just going to put this out there — if you are on a diet, eating clean, eating vegan, cleansing, or anything of that nature, this cake is NOT for you.

(Side note:  Can we just agree to not tell people when you are “on a cleanse”?  It makes me picture you sitting on a toilet (I know, I’m twelve) and that isn’t good for anyone)

Now, this cake.

You HAD to know it was coming.

I mourned the loss of Twinkies, and now I am celebrating their return with CAKE!!!  And not just ANY cake, but my very most favorite cake in all existence.

My Grandma Rosemary made this cake when I was small.  I don’t know if she made the recipe up, or got it out of a magazine somewhere, but I have a feeling she made it up.

Grandma had diabetes to the point that she developed neuropathy, and she’d STILL try to tell me that ice cream was listed in her Diabetes Handbook as an acceptable bread substitute.  Any time she’d get the shakes, I’d pour her a glass of juice and she’d say, “Honey, orange juice isn’t what you give a diabetic for low blood sugar.  I think there’s a Snickers bar in my purse”.

So take that into consideration when I tell you how you’re going to make this cake.  Grandma had no fear when it came to desserts.

Ingredients

• About 15 Twinkies
• 8 oz block of cream cheese, slightly softened
• 7 oz (half of a 14 oz can) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 16 oz Cool Whip (thawed), divided
• roughly 2 lbs fresh strawberries, sliced

Instructions

1. Line a 9 inch springform pan with plastic wrap.
2. In the bowl of your mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk and extracts, beating on medium speed until smooth and combined, scraping against the side of the bowl as needed. Fold in HALF of the Cool Whip and all the sliced strawberries.
3. Line perimeter of pan with Twinkies that have been cut in half vertically and horizontally. Line up against the side of the pan standing up with the cream center facing in. Spread half of your strawberry mixture in the bottom of the pan.
4. Layer more Twinkies, split VERTICALLY (they should be full length, with the cream exposed) on top of the strawberry filling. You may have to cut a few horizontally to fill spots, but it's okay if there are empty spaces here and there.
5. Repeat with the rest of the strawberry filling, and top with one more layer of split Twinkies. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, preferably overnight, but at least a few hours.
6. Turn onto a plate and remove pan and wrap. Cover with remaining Cool Whip and serve!!

Notes

To get my slices neat, I freeze for about an hour before serving. It will still cut just fine if you don't, but they may not hold their shape quite as well.

for complete decorations please clikck : www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/twinkie-strawberry-cheesecake-shortcake/

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