The Ultimate Coconut Cake
Is there anything more ultimate than coconut everything?
My love affair with coconut continues with this ultimate coconut cake recipe I pinched and tweaked from my Mum. I upped the coconut factor by replacing the boxed cake’s call for milk with coconut milk, and even added an extra shot of coconut extract (courtesy of Mum’s pantry) into the whip topping. I’d normally go with a scratch cake, but for ease of summertime I cheated and went with a brand-name cake mix instead.
The one ingredient you simply cannot mess with is the coconut cream— this can’t be replaced with coconut milk because you need the sweet thickness of the cream to maintain moisture. Trust me, I’ve tried it without and the two simply don’t compare.
The other must for me is freezing the cake before serving. You can skip this last step with tasty results, but you’d be missing out on great for the sake of good.—CFG
Ingredients:
1 package white cake mix
2 -3 eggs (or follow ingredient portions of prepared cake mix)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (or follow ingredient portions of prepared cake mix)
1 can coconut milk (replaces prepared cake mix water and/or milk)
2 tsp coconut extract
1 rounded cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 can cream of coconut
1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1-2 tsp coconut extract for whipped topping
Directions:
Prepare white cake mix according to package directions but replace milk with 1 can of coconut milk and add 2 tsp of coconut extract to the batter. Next, add 1 rounded cup of shredded sweetened coconut and mix batter completely. Bake cake according to package instructions.
Remove cake from oven. While it’s still hot, use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake. (The more holes the better!)
Slowly pour 1 can of cream of coconut over the entire cake. Allow cake to cool completely.
Add 1-2 tsp of coconut extract to thawed whip topping and gently fold until fully incorporated. Frost the cake with the topping (at least 2” high) and then sprinkle with a bit of sweetened coconut.
Freeze the cake (overnight preferably), then let thaw for 4 hours prior to serving. Serve chilled from the fridge with a mango sorbet (or other tropical flavour) and enjoy!
Note: You can also take things up a notch by adding coconut rum to this recipe— just subtract 1.5 oz of the canned milk and replace with a jigger of coconut rum.
