Food is a big part of our party, specifically pumpkin food. This year, I had Jamie include the link to my Pinterest board I dedicated unto pumpkin recipes in our invitation. The ideas were limitless: pumpkin spice cannoli, pumpkin caramel blondies, pumpkin brownies, buckle and pumpkin Oreo cheesecake.
And not one person used any of those recipes (sob).
However, I did. I’ve always loved better than s&x cake and was delighted to find a pumpkin version. I quickly scanned the recipe noting the ingredients and went shopping. I was super busy the evening before the party so figured I’d make the yellow cake and then finish all the toppings in the morning.
But my biggest mistake? In my haste, I didn’t reread the recipe.
The next morning, I woke up with the sinking feeling I’d messed up and I was correct. I had assumed the pumpkin was included in the topping when it was actually a part of the cake. If it was any other party, I would have just adapted and made a Tres Leche cake (my FAVORITE) but it was a pumpkin party and I needed a pumpkin cake!
And so I started again from scratch (sob).
In the end, I’m glad I did because it was delish.
But lest you think that’s all that went wrong, think again. Mere 10 minutes before our guests started arriving, I made three different lemonades. My neighbor Jenn had generously loaned me three cute pitchers and I’d snagged another neighbor Meredith’s darling homemade lemonade stand.
All the makings for a banner beverage corner? Think again.
I was mixing the pink lemonade with a wooden spoon when out of NO WHERE, there was an explosion…and then gushing lemonade EVERYWHERE. It took me about 10 seconds to register what happened. I’m not sure the physics on the situation but as the spoon brushed the side of the glass container, it literally blew a huge hole open right in the middle. The explosion was so powerful, Jamie estimates there was pink lemonade, lemons, glass and ice spewed within a 10-foot radius.
Because isn’t that what every hostess wants to have happen 10 minutes before her party??!!!
Instead of greeting the early guests with a smile and a pumpkin, they instead got a mop and a scowl.
Here is a shot of the completed lemonade stand and you will note it is devoid of pink lemonade.
For obvious reasons.
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- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 small can pumpkin puree
- 1 – 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 – 8 oz. tub cool whip
- 1/2 bag Heath Bits
- Caramel Sundae Sauce
- In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and pumpkin puree until a smooth batter forms.
- Pour batter into a well greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake at 350º according to the directions for a 9×13 cake on the cake mix box.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes after baking. Using the bottom of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the top of the cake.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake, filling the holes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Spread the cool whip over top of cake. Sprinkle on the heath bits, and drizzle caramel over top (just to your liking). Refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight (best).
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 