Easter Basket Cake

This easy no-bake cake starts with ready-made pound cake, add orange gelatin, crushed pineapple, whipped topping, green tinted coconut 'grass', jelly bean eggs and a braided red string licorice 'handle', and put it all together and you've got a novelty Easter basket cake.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 small (10.75-ounce) frozen pound cake, thawed
1 cup boiling water
1 (4-serving size) package orange gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 3/4 cups nondairy whipped topping, thawed
1 can (8-ounce) crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Green food coloring
Jelly beans
3 red string licorice

Cooking Directions:

1. Split cake in half horizontally. Place halves, cut sides up, on wax paper. Prick with fork at 1/2-inch intervals; set aside.
2. Stir boiling water into gelatin until completely dissolved. Remove 1/2 cup of the gelatin; place in small bowl. Add cold water; stir. Carefully pour over cake halves. Refrigerate 1 hour.
3. Refrigerate remaining gelatin until slightly thickened. Blend in whipped topping.
4. Remove 1/2 cup of the whipped topping mixture; place in small bowl. Add pineapple; mix well. Spread over one of the cake layers. Refrigerate 10 minutes or just until set; top with second cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining whipped topping mixture.
5. Tint coconut with green food coloring; sprinkle over top of cake. Decorate with jelly beans. Braid licorice strings to form handle; place over center of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve. Store any leftover cake in refrigerator.

Makes 8 servings.