Coconut Cream Cake

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I'm feeling a little bit lost with no holidays to prepare for.  Halloween through Easter has been a whirlwind of baking and trying to cram in everything I want to make and now my baking schedule is completely free until the 4th of July comes around.  It's a nice feeling actually.  I get to wrack my brain for delicious treats to invent instead of plowing through the 3 pages of bookmarked recipes on my computer.

This baby is a cake I make every year around Easter and it is the moistest cake everr.  It is a poke cake, drizzled with cream of coconut and has a fantastic coconut flavor.  It needs to be eaten within 2 days because it is so moist, but you shouldn't have problems getting rid of it.

Just to be clear, Cream of Coconut is that sweet syrupy stuff, often found in a can, over on the mixers aisle  (by the soda).  Look for Margarita mix and it's probably sitting on the shelf next to that.  I have yet to find a store that doesn't carry it, sometimes you just have to poke around a little bit.  Coconut milk, or Coconut Cream (non-sweetened) are NOT the same and will not yield the same results.  The brand I buy is Coco Lopez.  Check the back.   If there are a bazillion-ty calories in 2 Tbsp, and sugar is one of the first ingredients, you've got the right stuff.  Cream of Coconut is a great way to add a strong coconut flavor without adding gritty chunks of coconut to whatever you are baking!

Coconut Cream Cake

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

-1 box White cake mix
-3 eggs
-1/3 cup vegetable oil
-1 cup water
-1 tsp coconut extract

-1 (14 oz) can Cream of Coconut (such as Coco Lopez)
-1 cup heavy whipping cream
-1 Tbsp white sugar, heaping
-1-1.5 cups flaked coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease your pans.  I made my cake in two 6-inch round cake pans so I could make a layer cake, but you can make this in a 13x9 if you want.

Mix together the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, and coconut extract, and beat for 2 minutes.  Pour into pan(s).  Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  (If you are using round pans, you may have to adjust the baking time.  Check your cakes after 25 minutes, or use the sniff test- if it's starting to smell like cake, it's probably done.)

In the meantime, spoon the Coco Lopez into a glass measuring cup.  Microwave 30 seconds.  Whisk until smooth.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

For a 13x9 cake:
When cake is done, poke holes in the cake with a thin skewer (DONT go all the way to the bottom of the cake or mixture will pool there.) Pour 3/4 of Coco Lopez over hot cake and allow it to drip down into the holes.  Let cake sit on counter until cake is room temperature. (This is important- so your cake doesn't get soggy!)  Once cooled completely, refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to develop.

To serve- In a cold bowl, beat together the whipping cream, and 1 Tbsp sugar, to stiff peaks.  Frost cake with this whipped cream and sprinkle with coconut.

For a layer cake:
Allow cakes to cool completely, then slice in half horizontally (to make 4 thin round layers).  If your cakes are thick enough, you can even try to cut each cake into thirds to make a total of 6 thin round layers.)  Place one thin layer on a cake plate and use a pastry brush to brush both sides generously with Coco Lopez.  Top with another thin layer of cake, brush with Coco Lopez, and repeat until all layers are assembled.  You should use about 3/4 of the can of Coco Lopez. Refrigerate cake overnight to allow flavors to develop.

To serve- In a cold bowl, beat together the whipping cream, and 1 Tbsp sugar, to stiff peaks.  Frost cake with this whipped cream and sprinkle with coconut.

For a Bundt cake: 

Cool in Bundt pan for 30 minutes after baking. Remove cake from pan. Place cake back in pan. Poke bottom with holes and pour room temperature CocoLopez over holes. Cool completely before refrigerating overnight. 

Tip- I like to serve this cake with sugared strawberries. 

Tip- This is a very moist cake, so consume within 2 days of assembling. Store in the refrigerator.