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See ya later summer
This was a post I have been meaning to share since August! However, I really wanted to have a great recipe to share along with our trip adventures! This summer we had a chance to go to Key West, Florida for the first time. 
We took my parents with and we rented a small bungalow-style house for a week. We ended up driving down there which was a two-day drive for us from Virginia. Our drive occurred during the Solar Eclipse so we made a point to stop and check it out along the way! 
Dry Tortugas National Park
One of the biggest highlights of our trip was the Seaplane Adventure we took to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas National Park. It’s about a 30 minute flight from Key West to Fort Jefferson which is an old, unfinished Civil War fort. To be honest, the flight is not cheap. It’s cheaper to take the two-hour boat ride. But I can say, without hesitation, that the money is well spent! The views are absolutely breathtaking!
Hemingway House
Of course, being the cat-lovers that we all are, we had to visit Ernest Hemingway’s old home in Key West. It’s a beautiful home full of six-toed cats roaming around. There are so many cats that they have their own full-time veterinarian on duty. These are spoiled and well-loved kitties. If you go, make sure to take the guided tour around the property. Lots of interesting stories to be heard for sure!
Couple of surprises
One of the things that surprised me the most was the lack of sandy beaches in Key West. I didn’t know that Key West is basically made up of coral rock. Also, because Key West is protected by a natural reef, there aren’t those waves that would normally bring in sand to make a natural beach line. So, they have to bring in sand to make any type of beach at all. Also, did you know that Key West is closer to Cuba than it is to a Wal-Mart? True story! Ha!
For families
A few tips for families visiting Key West. Key West has a booming night life. After about 9pm, it gets a bit crazy and a lot of people are drinking and they aren’t always responsible drinkers. So, if you have little ones, I would suggest you plan on calling it a night at a reasonable hour. Also, take advantage of all the water activities in Key West! Parasailing, boat rides, snorkeling and jet skis are all activities that are reasonably priced and are a ton of fun! You can literally walk everywhere on the island. But you can also rent a golf cart like we did. The streets are full of them and the kids enjoy it too!
Key Lime Poke Cake
So, I wanted to share a Key West-inspired dessert in honor of our fun summer trip. I didn’t want to do a regular ole Key Lime Pie though. I wanted to share a new and fun recipe and this was it!
It has all of those yummy key lime flavors but in a deliciously sweet cake form! I love the colors in this too. I decorated it with lime slices but it’s not necessary. It just depends on how much time and energy you want to put into it. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
ingredients needed to make cake mix: egg whites, oil and water
1 (3 oz) box lime gelatin (JELL-O)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1 (22 oz) can Key Lime Creme Pie filling and topping
1 (8 oz) tub whipped topping (COOL WHIP), thawed
sliced limes and fresh lime zest, for decorating
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Mix cake mix according to package directions.
Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
In a small bowl, whisk lime gelatin with one cup of boiling water until completely dissolved. Then whisk in the 1/2 cup of cold water. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. With the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes into the cake about 2 inches apart. Slowly drizzle the gelatin over the entire surface of the cake so that it is covered and drips into the holes. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
Then, spread the Key Lime Creme Pie topping over the cake and then cover completely with whipped topping.
Return to refrigerator to cool for at least one hour before serving.
Decorate with fresh lime zest and lime slices, if desired.
Makes 12 slices
Enjoy!
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 3 oz box lime gelatin (JELL-O)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1 22 oz can Key Lime Creme Pie filling and topping
- 1 8 oz tub whipped topping (COOL WHIP), thawed
- sliced limes and fresh lime zest for decorating
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Mix cake mix according to package directions.
- Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- In a small bowl, whisk lime gelatin with one cup of boiling water until completely dissolved. Then whisk in the 1/2 cup of cold water.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. With the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes into the cake about 2 inches apart.
- Slowly drizzle the gelatin over the entire surface of the cake so that it is covered and drips into the holes. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
- Then, spread the Key Lime Creme Pie topping over the cake and then cover completely with whipped topping.
- Return to refrigerator to cool for at least one hour before serving.
- Decorate with fresh lime zest and lime slices, if desired.
Love the key lime pie recipe. Thank you
Love this fun take on key lime pie!
Where do you find Key Lime Cream filling?
For the life of me I can not find key lime cake and pie filling anywhere in our area