Dive On In Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (18 1/4 ounce) package yellow cake mix (2-layer size)
3 eggs (or as called for by your cake mix)
1/3 cup oil (or as called for by your cake mix)
1 1/3 cups water (or as called for by your cake mix)
2 cups boiling water
2 (3 ounce) packages berry blue gelatin mix
1 cup cold water
1 (8 ounce) container whipped topping, thawed
56 mini chocolate sandwich style cookies
6 Teddy Grahams honey graham snacks, snacks (Teddy Bear shaped)
5 ring-shaped chewy fruit snacks
4 bite-size fish-shaped chewy fruit snacks

Preparation

PREPARE and bake cake mix in 13x9-inch baking pan as directed on package.
Cool completely.
Invert cake onto large platter; remove pan.
Using a serrated knife, cut and scoop out a shallow rectangle from center of cake, leaving a 2-inch border of cake on all sides and a thin layer of cake on the bottom.
Reserve removed cake for snacking or other use.
STIR boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 2 minute until completely dissolved.
Stir in cold water.
Refrigerate 1-1/4 hours or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites). (Shortcut: For a quick-set gelatin, simply add 4 cups ice cubes to the dissolved gelatin mixture in place of the 1 cup cold water; stir 8 minute or until gelatin begins to thicken (spoon drawn through leaves a definite impression).
Remove any unmelted ice.
Pour thickened gelatin into center of cake.
Refrigerate 3 hours or until set.
FROST borders of cake with whipped topping.
Decorate with remaining ingredients as desired to resemble a swimming pool.
Store leftover cake in refrigerator.
Fun Idea: Insert bite-size fish-shaped and octopus-shaped chewy fruit snacks into gelatin \"pool\" before refrigerating for an added treat!