Illustration by Neal Stepp

Follow Your Heart

by Geary Smith

"What are you making?" asked Jessica's friend Somer. "Is that whip cream you have?"

Jessica is making sunshine cake for her grandmother who is sick at home. Jessica got a big mixing bowl, a spoon, eggs, sugar and mandarin oranges. "Why don't you mix a little chocolate in the cake mix," said Somer. "Chocolate is my favorite kind of cake."

"Well, chocolate might make the cake taste better," thought Jessica. So, she added chocolate in the mixing bowl, and stirred it in. Jessica stirred and she stirred, until all of the ingredients were mixed thoroughly. After about thirty minutes of cooking in the oven, the cake was done. However, to Jessica's surprise, the cake did not look or smell like a sunshine cake.

"I'll eat it!" shouted Jessica's friend Somer. And, she did.

So, the next day, Jessica decided to bake another sunshine cake for her grandmother. This time Jessica would not add chocolate, as she had done the day before. Jessica got her bowl, and other ingredients to make her cake.

"Why don't you add my favorite dessert, fudge to the cake mix?" asked Jessica's little brother Gary. "It will make the cake much better and creamier."

"I do want to bake a great cake for grandmother," thought Jessica. So, she added the fudge to the other ingredients. After about thirty minutes of baking, the cake was done. And, as before, the cake did not look or smell like a sunshine cake. It smelled more like a fudge cake.

"I'll eat it!" shouted Gary. And, he did.

So the next day, Jessica decided to make another cake. This time, she would not add chocolate or fudge. Jessica got her bowl, brown sugar, eggs and mandarin oranges, and mixed them in a big bowl. And, just when Jessica was putting the cake mix into the cooking pans, "What are you making?" asked Jessica's cousin Beth, who was visiting from out of town.

"A sunshine cake for my grandmother, who is sick," replied Jessica.

"You know what would be good for your cake," said Beth. "A little lemon and mango juice."

So, Jessica added a little lemon and mango juice to her cake mix. After about thirty minutes of cooking, the cake was done. The cake smelled awful, nothing like a sunshine cake, with the aroma of mandarin oranges. The cake didn't even look like the sunshine cake that Jessica had made in the past.

"I'll eat it!" shouted Jessica's cousin Beth. And, she did.

The following morning, Jessica decided to make the cake exactly the way she wanted. The way she believed in her heart to make it for her grandmother from the very start. So, Jessica got her bowl, eggs, sugar, and mandarin oranges, and mixed them all together.

"Put chocolate in your bowl," said Somer.

"Nope, I'm going to add mandarin oranges," said Jessica. And, she did.

"Put fudge in your bowl," said Jessica's little brother Gary.

"Nope, I'm going to add more mandarin oranges," said Jessica. And, she did.

"Put lemon and mango juice in your bowl," said Beth.

"Nope, I'm going to add a little more mandarin oranges," said Jessica. And, she did. Then Jessica put the mixture into the pans, and in the oven. About thirty minutes later of cooking, the cake was done. The aroma of mandarin oranges filled the house. Once the cake had cooled off, Jessica topped it off with a mixture of whip cream, pineapples and vanilla pudding, she took it to her grandmother's house.

"This is the best sunshine cake that I have ever eaten," said Jessica's grandmother. "And, most of all, you made it all by yourself."

Here is the recipe to the sunshine cake if you would like to make it with the help of an adult.

Sunshine Cake Recipe

Ingredients: Duncan Hines Butter or Moist Cake Mix, 1 (11-ounce) can of mandarin oranges, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup of oil, 1 teaspoon of vanilla flavor, 1 container of Cool Whip, 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, 1 large box instant vanilla pudding, and 13 inch cooking pan.

Cooking instructions for cake and topping:
Mix cake mixture, eggs, oil, mandarin orange juice and vanilla flavor in mixing bowl, and beat/stir for 2 minutes on low and 2 minutes on high speed. Stir in mandarin oranges. Put into greased cooking pan. Bake cake on 350 for about 30-45 minutes. Let cool before adding Cool Whip topping.

Cool Whip topping mixture:
Add instant vanilla pudding and pineapple to Cool Whip and stir until mixed.

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