This is a recipe for Coconut Cake that I have watched my Mom make many times for special occasions all through my growing up years. I don’t actually like coconut flavored things so I’ve never really even eaten this cake. That could be totally dangerous to admit, since I’m highlighting it on my blog. However, if you know my mom and her cooking (many of you know her in real life and those that don’t do know her from her cooking – I share many recipes from her… like Honeymoon Hotcakes, Japanese Chicken Curry, Thanksgiving Rolls, Swedish Pancakes, Peach Kuchen and more… so you know she’s a brilliant cook and totally reliable! ) Additionally, I know from years of experience that this cake gets rave reviews and is delicious by everyone’s standards.
So… when a friend’s birthday arrived and her hubby gave us girlfriends the tip that she likes coconut cupcakes from a local bakery I volunteered to bring dessert. I have made this cake a handful of times and knew that the recipe might be a tad more challenging in the cupcake form, but figured it would be worth a shot. They turned out just lovely and were a huge hit with the birthday girl and our friends.
1 cup milk Topping 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes toastedWendy's Coconut Cake
Ingredients:
Cake and Pour over
1 white cake mix (and required ingredients)
1 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pint whipping cream
4 oz whipped cream cheese
1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions:
1. Prepare cake mix as directed and fold in 1 and 1/4 cup of sweetened coconut flakes.
(Be sure to mix the cake mix exactly as directed, usually 1 minute on slow and 2 minutes on high speed using an electric mixer. This makes a huge difference in how your cakes, made from the box, will turn out.)
2. Bake cake in a 9×13 pan or cupcake tins.
3. Prepare the “pour over” ingredients. Bring 1 cup of milk to a boil and add sugar and vanilla.
4. Make fork holes in warm cake and add milk mixture over the top while still hot.
(This was slightly trickier, and messier, with cupcakes but I just added a bit to each cupcake until the mixture was completely used and the cakes were completely saturated.)
5. Cool cake in refrigerator.
6. Toast the remaining 1/4 cup of sweetened coconut flakes – be careful not to burn. Use a dry frying pan over medium heat. You really have to keep you eyes on it the whole time and stir with a wooden spoon.
7. Make topping by whipping together the whipping cream and whipped cream cheese. I also added about 2Tb. of powdered sugar to sweeten it, but that is optional. I use a handheld mixer and cover my arm with a dish towel until the tipping thickens – this can be messy.
8. Top cooled cake with whipped topping and sprinkle toasted coconut on top.
This is sure to be a total hit!
Here is the recipe as it appears in my Mom’s cookbook.
