easter cake 

So... Since it's Easter, I feel I should start this out with a confession.  
This is a box cake y'all!!! 
Let me tell you how I feel about Easter. I feel it should be peaceful and easy going.  I don't really know WHY I feel that, but I guess because that is the way it always was for us growing up.  My dad would cook a ham and my mom would make a side. The end. 
Now, I make more than that, but I like the dishes to be simple.  My Easter menu usually includes ham, spaghetti-style mac-n-cheese, creamed peas, sweet potato casserole, broccoli salad, rolls and one or two desserts. 
Those are all pretty easy to put together... food you can prepare the morning of without much fuss. 
So basically, I make a white box cake, same directions except I add vanilla.  I make my own cream cheese icing to go on top.  This can be fun for the kids to join in and decorate it! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 box of white cake mix 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• *Optional: Instead of vanilla extract, use orange or lemon
• *Optional: Add zest of lemon or orange 
• Bake according to the directions on the box 

Cream Cheese Icing: 

• 2 packages of 8oz cream cheese 
• 1 stick of butter 
• 4 cups confectioners sugar 
• 2 tsp vanilla 
• *Optional- swap out vanilla with lemon or orange 

Directions: 

• In a stand mixer add the cream cheese 
• Add the butter and blend it together 
• Slowly add the confectioners sugar and blend well 
• Add vanilla extract 
• Blend well 

If you are piping as pictured above: 

• Place icing in a large ziplock style bag 
• Cut off one corner 
• Pipe thick lines over the cake as shown 
• Sprinkles! Decorate with sprinkles as please