The cake that will make you famous

Okay, to say this cake will make you famous might be a slight exaggeration, but you will be hailed as a marvelous baker. And you're the only one who needs to know how very simple it is to make this scrumptious four-layer coconut cake.

Here are the ingredients you'll need:


You'll also need eggs, oil, and water. Mix up the white cake according to package directions. You can use any cake mix that makes you happy (or, if you're like me, you'll use the one that was on sale).  If you don't care for cake mixes, simply mix up a white cake from your favorite recipe.

Prepare two round cake pans; divide batter evenly between the pans. HINT: If you have a food scale, use it to make sure your batter is divided evenly. Otherwise, just eyeball it.



Bake layers according to package directions. Allow the two cake rounds to cool thoroughly.

Meanwhile, make your filling/frosting by combining

1 lb. powdered sugar, sifted
8 oz. sour cream
2 6 oz. packages frozen coconut (find it in the frozen fruit section of your grocery store), thawed

Mix thoroughly.

When cake layers are completely cooled, cut them in half horizontally. You'll be creating four layers. I use a long serrated knife for this process. Don't worry if the layers aren't perfect.



Place one layer, cut side up, on a cake plate. It's best to use a plate with a lip, since your filling/frosting will be fairly runny.

Spread 1/4 of your filling/icing on the first layer. HINT: Again, if you have a food scale, use it to make sure you're using 1/4 of your filling for each layer. You'll have 36 oz. of frosting, so use about 9 oz. per layer. If you don't have a food scale, just eyeball it. . . but if you do have a food scale, it's useful for making this cake just right!

Continue stacking each layer, cut side up, on top of one another, topping each layer with 1/4 of the filling.



When you've stacked the last layer and spread the last bit of filling on top, you may want to sprinkle a bit of flaked coconut (I like Baker's Angel Flake) on top just because it looks pretty.

Now here's the most important part. Cover the cake well (I cover it with plastic wrap first, then also with foil) and refrigerate it for at least TWO DAYS before serving. Three days would be fine, too. But it needs to sit for at least two days to give plenty of time for the yummy filling to sink down into every crevice of the layers--the layers that you placed CUT SIDE UP, remember? After two days the cake will be moist and cold and absolutely irresistible.

If you're lucky, your 18-year-old will ask you to bake one for his birthday. If you're really lucky, he might be a handsome redhead who is more than foot taller than his mom.




And if you're really, really lucky, your 18-year-old will have a bunch of friends who will now think of you as the mom who makes that wonderful coconut cake:



Here's a close-up of this ooey-gooey coconut goodness:

Try it! You'll like it!

**I'm joining Beth for her marvelous Tutorials and Tips party!**