Pinned it and Actually DID it! (new blog topic…)

I saw this on a blog somewhere and thought it was a GREAT idea.  You know all those things you “Pin” from pinterest?  Well, I actually DO try to do some of them.  And honestly, I have yet to try one that is a “pin fail” or a “pinstrosity”  I’m sure my time is coming.  But either way, when I try something new from Pinterest, I will try to share it here, and let you know…thumbs up or thumbs down. 

First up…MARGARITA CAKE

OK…just to be clear…this is a total and COMPLETE thumbs up.  This.  Was.  AWESOME!!!  My best friend and coworker has decided that she isn’t coming back next year to work as an associate with me.  Often, our beverage of choice when we get together after a long, HARD day of work, is a margarita.  In honor of her last day of school, I made this margarita cake. 

THIS IS NOT MY PICTURE….it is from the above linked site where I originally found the recipe I was going to follow!  (I would have taken a picture, but…umm…well…the people that I work with tend to make things disappear quicker than I can get a picture!)

It was a hit by all who tasted it.  Seriously good cake.  There is a crushed pretzel crust on the bottom, which took this cake over the top. 

• 1½ cups coarsely crushed pretzels
• ½ cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1 box white cake mix
• 1¼ cups bottled nonalcoholic margarita mix
• 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon grated lime peel
• 3 egg whites
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream (I deviated from the recipe here…it really called for cool whip, but I SO MUCH prefer whipping cream!)
• 1/3-1/2 cup sugar
• Grated lime peel or wedges, if desired

Preheat your oven to 350*.  Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with Nonstick cooking spray)
Place pretzels in food processor and pulse to a crumb (or…if you need to get out some aggression, pound it in a baggie)  Add sugar (I think next time I might leave out the sugar and just go for the salty in the pretzels.  There is enough “sweet” in this cake) and butter and press into the greased pan.  Press down gently.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, margarita mix, oil, lime peel and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Continue beating on high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pretzel mixture.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake is done (very lightly golden on top)  Cool completely, about 1 hour. **Stick the bowl and beater of your mixer into the freezer for about 15 minutes.  Pour heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup sugar into bowl and whip til stiff peaks form.  Top the cake.  Sprinkle with freshly grated lime peel.  Store, covered, in the fridge.

**Now, IF a person weren’t taking this to school, one could take a little bit (1/4 cup or less) of Jose Gold tequila and, using a pastry brush, just lightly brush tequila over the top of the cake.  Not much, but it can add just a nice touch.  THEN frost it with the whipped cream.  OOOH…sends it over the top!