Lime Pineapple Frosting

So this whole Covid-19 thing has totally and completely messed with my middle son’s birthday. From not being able to have the party he wanted to not being able to get ingredients that were needed, it has been a fiasco. I got fed up so today we celebrated the anniversary of his birth and had my mom and brother join us to make it a bit more fun. We had a huge taco feast with all of his favorite toppings and then some. And, for dessert, we enjoyed a key lime cake with lime pineapple frosting. It was super yummy and super simple!

Notes:

The cake I made was from a mix, I admit. Aldi has a Gluten-free key lime cake mix which I used. I made two boxes of it to get two layers, and added an extra egg because when I made it in the past, it was drier and more crumbly than was tolerable. The extra egg seemed to help quite a bit. If you have never been to an Aldi, they are a nice little store and have some really great quality gluten-free products. They also are a lot less expensive for many things and I almost exclusively buy dairy products there. It is worth it to check it out if you need to be gluten-free or you just want to save some money. (If you go, grab a macaroni and cheese pizza if they have it in stock. They are AWESOME!)

Now that my Aldi ramble is done, as I was saying, I used a cake mix. Do not be ashamed if you do the same. The quality and ease of a box mix is wonderful. Plus there are some great flavors available. This frosting would be great on a white cake, lemon cake, coconut or pineapple cake, or even a Florida Sunshine cake (though I much prefer my lemonade frosting on that, just saying). Whatever you desire.

Plus this frosting is easily adaptable to whatever flavor combination or color combination you desire. All you have to do is change the flavor of the Jell-O, and swap the pineapple for another fruit (as well drained as possible) or leave out the fruit altogether. It is a very flexible and forgiving recipe so have fun and enjoy it!

The most important point is to THOROUGHLY drain the fruit. Excess moisture will make the frosting more runny. I used a sieve to press out the extra juice, but you could also put the fruit in cheesecloth and press it out well. If your frosting is runny, you can add more powdered sugar to help thicken it.

When I made this cake, I just sprinkled a little green decorating sugar over the top for flair, but there are so many options for decorating it. You could use some white or lightly tinted whipped cream or frosting to add details. You could sprinkle toasted coconut on top (especially nice if the cake is a coconut cake). You could add little decorator candies in pastel shades. Maraschino cherries, well drained, would provide a bright pop of color. Or you could use some slivers of candied citrus peels to make things interesting.

Ingredients:

• 2 pkgs (8 oz each) Cream Cheese, softened
• 3 Tbsp milk
• 4 Tbsp lime Jell-O mix
• 1 c. confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
• 20 oz crushed pineapple, well drained

Directions:

In a medium or large mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese until slightly fluffy. Add in the milk and beat until smooth and fully incorporated.

Add half the Jell-O mix and fully blend in, then repeat with the other half. Blend in the powdered sugar well. Mix in the pineapple until it is evenly incorporated into the frosting.

Enjoy. 🙂

(If you have any extra, try some on Ritz crackers. Trust me!)