Coconut Cake

Inspired by a coconut cake that DH and I had at a recent picnic... thank you to Lulu's wonderful grandmother... DH has been asking me to make said coconut cake ever since. We slightly changed the recipe. THe original recipe was made with a 7-minute frosting that, apparently, can be found in the Joy of Cooking cookbook.

Ingredients:

White cake mix from box

1/2 pound unsalted butter, rooom temp

2 blocks of cream cheese, room temp

1 pound of confectioner suger, sifted

1 bag of coconut flakes

1 small box of vanilla pudding

vanilla extract, 1 tbsp

coconut extract, 1/2 tbsp

can of coconut milk

Directions for cake: Make cake using directions on box of cake mix.

Directions for icing: Mix butter, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and coconut extract in a bowl.

Directions for pudding: Make pudding according to package directions. Cool in refrigerator. Add some coconut to pudding for flavor (optional).

Directions for browning coconut (optional): Layer coconut on a cookie sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for 4 minutes. Take out of oven. Stir. Repeat as necessary until coconut is brown/golden. Cool before adding to cake as HOT coconut will melt the icing.

Directions for assembly: Cut each cake into two layers. Brush on some coconut milk to the top of each cake layer. Assemble by adding some pudding inbetween each cake layer (4 layers in all). Once the top layer of cake is added then ice the cake. After icing the cake, add coconut.

Enjoy!