Lovely lemon dessert

This dessert recipe is one I've made many times over the years.  It would make a really nice Easter dessert because it is pretty, somewhat light, and has the bright flavor of lemon.  I made it yesterday, though, for a potluck lunch at church where a ministry team of teenagers would be eating with us.  Here's the recipe if you are interested:

LEMON AMBROSIA CAKE

1 (18.25 oz) lemon cake mix, plus the eggs and oil it calls for
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup sugar
2 (3.5 oz.) packages cook-and-serve lemon pudding and pie filling, plus egg yolks, water and sugar called for
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup flaked coconut

     Bake the cake as directed in a 13x9x2” pan.  Combine the pineapple and sugar in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and boil 5 minutes.
    Pour pineapple mixture over the hot cake.  Cool pineapple-topped cake in pan on rack.
     Cook the lemon pudding mixes as directed, with the egg yolks and water called for.  Pour the cooked pudding over the cake and chill until firm.
     Whip the cream until medium-stiff peaks form, gradually adding the confectioners sugar (which serves as a stabilizer).  Beat in the vanilla.  Spread the whipped cream over the pudding.  Sprinkle the coconut over the whipped cream and refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
 Yield:  12 servings.

 This cake has been a family favorite for years.  I copied it years ago off the radio cooking show, Gus Saunders' Yankee Kitchen. Although the dessert is easy to make, it is somewhat time-consuming because the cake needs to cool and then chill in between the different steps of the recipe.  I'll run through those with pictures and captions.  (All photos were taken with my Kindle and so the quality is not of the best, but you will get the idea, I'm sure.)

Mix the cake with eggs, oil, and water as the package directs.  I used coconut oil because that's what I had.  Bake the cake as usual.

When the cake is done, put the undrained pineapple in a saucepan with a cup or less of sugar; bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes and pour over the hot cake.  Let cool completely.

When the cake is cooled, cook the 2 packages of lemon pudding as the package directs.  The kind I used called for egg yolks and water, and I think some sugar too.  When  a recipe calls for 2 egg yolks, I always substitute a whole egg (unless there is a meringue involved to use up the whites).  Spread the pudding over the cooled cake.  Place the dessert in the refrigerator until the pudding is cold.  You can even chill it overnight at this point.

Whip cream with confectioners sugar and vanilla.

Spread whipped cream over the chilled pudding layer.

Sprinkle coconut  over the whipped cream.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cut in squares of desired size to serve.  Enjoy!

Hope your family enjoys this recipe if you try it!