Easy Coconut Cake

Super Easy Coconut Cake

I first had this fabulous coconut cake at a staff dinner at our principal's home. It was this crazy potluck, where our principal provided pizza for everyone, and the rest of us were supposed to bring desserts. Neat idea, right? What we ended up with was a super gluttonous spread of just about every dessert imaginable. This cake, though, is what got my attention. I don't even like coconut, but it just looked so yummy, and people were just digging in with a spatula. So I took a little bit just to taste it, and oh my gosh. It was one of the best cakes I've ever eaten. I'm not a huge cake fan (no pun intended), but this one was a keeper. It's so easy, that the original recipe just calls for you to mix the cake right in the pan. It's moist, tender, sweet, creamy, and coconutty. So, so good. The only complicated thing about this recipe is that you have to let the cake cool for an hour in the refrigerator. Definitely a crowd pleaser and the perfect cake for a potluck. Thanks, Wendi for one of the best cake recipes ever.
Note: I've also tried making a cupcake version of this cake. They're cute, but I think it tastes better this way.

Easy Coconut Cake

Ingredients: 

• 1 box white cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 2 cups shredded coconut, divided
• 7 oz. cream of coconut (found in the liquor section, but it's non alcoholic)
• 1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed in the refrigerator

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, and 1 cup coconut until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly in the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.
Remove from oven and poke surface every 1/2 to 3/4 inches with a meat fork. Open up your can of cream of coconut and stir well to break up any solid parts. Pour 7 oz. (or so) of the cream of coconut evenly over the hot cake. With the back of a spoon, spread the cream over any parts that didn't get poured on.
Allow cake to cool a bit before moving to the refrigerator to cool completely (about 1 hour).
Mix the thawed Cool Whip with the other 1 cup coconut and spread evenly over the top of the cake. 
Refrigerate until ready to serve, and then be sure to refrigerate any leftovers.
Makes 1 cake, or 12-24 servings