The Coconut Cake (actual, shredded coconut is optional, strangely enough).  It is about the cake, people!

#1 Cake:

• 1 white cake mix (Duncan Hines is the better choice, always), mixed according to boxed instructions with 1 teaspoon coconut extract added

#2 Creamy coconut mixture for slathering:

• 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened, condensed milk
• 1 can Senor Lopez’s Coconut Creme (15 oz.), or any coconut cream found near the drink-mixing (pina colada) supplies

#3 Optional topping (but treat yourself and add it):

• Toasted shredded coconut sprinkled on top for people who really love their coconut (which leaves out most of my family, tsk).

#4 Rich, delicious icing

• See below! You’ll be so glad!

Here’s how

Bake the cake in a 9 x 13″ pan according to directions (don’t forget to add that teaspoon of coconut extract to the mix).  While it is baking, stir together the Eagle Brand Milk and the Coconut Creme.

While the cake is still warm from the oven, poke {lots of} holes in it with a butter knife or potato peeler and pour/slather the mixture over the cake to saturate.  Keep back a couple of tablespoons of the mixture to use in the icing (I just don’t scrape the bowl and it gives me enough for my needs).

Let the cake cool completely.  Then use 1 batch of any cream cheese icing recipe with that little milk-creme mixture you reserved and spread over the cake (use the same bowl for the icing, for heaven’s sake).

Gavin liked it!  :)

But wait – there’s MORE!  Don’t you want the MOST AMAZING Cream Cheese Icing Recipe EVER, too???

Ok, then I will share it, as well.  I got it off Pinterest.  It is so ridiculously simple and easy you won’t believe it.  It’s called Marshmallow-Cream Cheese Icing.

• 1 8 oz. block of cream cheese (give it a chance to come close to room temp, as the cake bakes)
• 1 (7 oz.)  jar of marshmallow cream
• 1 tsp of vanilla.  Or, as I did in this case, 1 teaspoon of, you guessed it – coconut extract!!!

That’s it!  Three ingredients.  It is luscious, delightful, creamy, airy, light and delish!  It is not too sweet and whips up in 2 minutes flat.  SO fast, so perfect!

Now, I also “toasted” about a cup of coconut and sliced almonds in a pat of {real} butter on the stovetop and anyone who wished could sprinkle it atop at serving time.  If you want, though, you may just generously sprinkle the cake top with soft coconut from the bag.  But my son Rocky liked the crunchiness over the uber-creamy, soft cake.  True – it was wonderful.

Pop the iced cake in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.  Mmmmmmm.  I don’t even really like cake.  But I love this…it was breakfast!

Quick re-cap

Thank-you, Heather, for sharing your wonderful recipe.  And Stef – I plan to make one for you to celebrate Wryder’s arrival!  xxoo