Ingredients
Units
Scale
- For cake:
- 1 white or yellow cake mix (not prepared)
- 1 stick butter, cut into 8 pieces
- Coconut milk to replace the water, reserve excess for icing (1 can should be enough)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sweetened or unsweetened, shredded coconut
- For filling:
- 1 cup dulce de leche, store-bought or homemade
- For frosting:
- 1 1/2 sticks cool butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
- 3 1/2 cups to 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3–4 Tbsp. coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp. melted coconut oil or 1/2 tsp. pure coconut extract (optional)
- Topping ideas:
- 1–2 cups shredded coconut (I usually use unsweetened, but sweetened is fine too)
- 1/2 cup toasted coconut
- Cadbury mini eggs or jelly beans
Instructions
- For cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8 or 9″ round cake pans and dust the inside with a little flour. Line each with a round of wax or parchment paper. Grease the wax paper.
- Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor* and process until all the coconut is finely chopped. Remove half and place in a separate bowl for filling.
- Add the dry cake mix to the food processor bowl and scatter the butter over the top. Pulse until the mixture looks like cornmeal and no large chunks of butter remain. With the food processor running on low, add the eggs and coconut milk. Process until the batter is very thick, but be careful not to over process. (Maybe 30 seconds to 1 minute tops.)
- Evenly divide the batter between the two cake pans. Bake for the time recommended on the cake mix box. The cake will be done when the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge to loosen the cakes and turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- For filling:
- Place on of the cooled cake layers on a cake platter or serving plate and top with the dulce de leche. Spread over the cake layer, leaving about 1/2″ border to allow for a little more spreading when it is topped with the second cake layer. Chill until ready to top with the frosting.
- For frosting:
- Beat the butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar alternately with the coconut milk and continue beating until the frosting is very fluffy reaches the desired spreading consistency. If using the melted coconut oil or extract, add that and beat a little longer. (It’s better to err on the side of too thick with this. Place in the fridge to firm up a little if it becomes runny.)
- To finish and decorate:
- On the chilled cake, apply a small amount of the coconut frosting on the tops and sides, smoothing well with a flat metal spatula. This is called a crumb coat. Let the cake chill for a little bit so the frosting will firm up.
- Next, spread a good amount of the coconut frosting again on the top and around the sides or the cake. It doesn’t have to be too smooth this time. Just make sure to cover it well. Carefully use your hands to press the coconut into the sides and top of the cake. Form small circles on top with the toasted coconut and use your finger to make a hole in the center, like a nest. Place a few Cadbury mini eggs into the nest. Chill cake until ready to serve. But, remove the cake from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving so it is easier to cut into slices.
Notes
*Note: If you don’t have a food processor, just leave the coconut whole. To make the cake with an electric mixer, place the dry cake mix into the mixing bowl along with the coconut. Add the tablespoons of butter and mix until crumbly on low speed with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and coconut milk and beat for 2 minutes. Proceed with the other directions as written.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American