homemade cream-filled sponge cakes

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• cooking spray
• 1 cup water
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
• 1 (5.1 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
• 2 cups boiling water (optional)
• 1 (3 ounce) package raspberry-flavored jell-o® mix (optional)
• 2 cups flaked coconut (optional)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch, or as needed (optional)

Recipe

Cook Time: 15 mins Ready Time: 3 hrs 15 mins


• preheat an oven to 325 degrees f (165 degrees c).
• cut a 12x14-inch sheet of aluminum foil. fold it in half lengthwise, then in half again widthwise.
• wrap the foil partially around a spice jar lengthwise, bringing foil up around the jar and crushing the foil around the ends of the jar to make a boat-shaped baking form about 4 inches long, 2 1/2 inches tall, and 1 1/2 inch wide. repeat with 15 more pieces of foil to make 16 boat-shaped baking forms. shape the bottoms of the forms to be slightly flat so forms can stand up.
• spray the forms with cooking spray, and place a baking sheet.
• mix together 1 cup water, eggs, and vegetable oil in a bowl with an electric mixer set on low speed.
• beat in yellow cake mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• beat in the vanilla pudding mix until smooth, about 3 minutes more.
• divide the batter evenly into the prepared aluminum foil baking forms, filling each form about 1/2 full.
• bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 11 to 15 minutes. cool in the forms for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
• beat together the butter, shortening, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• beat in the confectioners' sugar on low speed, gradually increasing speed to high until frosting is smooth and fluffy.
• mix in the marshmallow fluff, beating on high speed until light and airy.
• spoon frosting into a pastry bag equipped with a round pastry tip.
• remove the cakes from the baking forms.
• with a sharp knife, cut a 2-inch slit lengthwise on the flat bottom side of a cake.
• pipe a generous amount of the frosting into the slit, holding the shape of the cake with your hand to prevent splitting. repeat with the remaining cakes.
• for the coconut-raspberry variation: bring 2 cups water and raspberry gelatin mix to a boil in a saucepan until the gelatin dissolves, about 5 minutes.
• pour mixture into a shallow dish and refrigerate until thickened but not set, about 15 minutes.
• place coconut flakes in a food processor. pulse until flakes are finely chopped.
• transfer the coconut to a shallow dish and stir in enough cornstarch to achieve a loose texture.
• dip a filled cake in the thickened gelatin, turning to coat all sides; roll the cake in the coconut mixture. repeat with remaining cakes.
• arrange the coconut-coated cakes on a wire rack until gelatin and coconut are set, about 2 hours.