Coconut Cake

When I was in CA visiting, somehow we made the Lethal Peppermint Chocolate Cake. Mom, of course, wasn't interested, and the topic turned to coconut cake. This is a recipe is from the side of the Western Family white cake mix.

Super Moist Coconut Cake

1 pkg white cake mix

1/4 c. oil

3 eggs

1 c. sour cream

1 8oz. can cream of coconut*

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. sweetened flake coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs, sour cream, cream of coconut, vanilla, and coconut. Mix until well blended.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely.

Frosting

1/2 c butter, softened

12 oz. cream cheese

1 Tbsp. vanilla

4 c. powdered sugar

1 c. sweetened flake coconut, toasted in the oven until light golden brown

Beat butter and cream cheese together until fluffy and free of lumps. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, beat until well blended and fluffy.

Frost cooled cake with frosting.

Sprinkle 1 c. toasted coconut evenly over the frosting.

*Do not buy plain coconut milk. The two are not the same and are not interchangeable. Coconut milk is found in the Asian section and is thinner and not sweetened. Cream of coconut, which you use in this recipe, is thick and sweet. It is found in the drink mixers section of the grocery store. Also, I have never found an 8 oz. can of cream of coconut. I usually pour/scoop the cream of coconut out of the can, mix it together (It's always separated in the can.) and use half of it. The other half I use for pina coladas. Yum!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

These cupcakes are amazing so I had to share! Plus, they are chocolate! I got this recipe out of Relish, a magazine insert in our local newspaper.

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
4 ounces chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1 cup buttermilk (I used a cup of milk plus 1 Tblsp lemon juice that sat for 5 min.)
2 tsp vanilla (oops. I forgot that part!)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 2 6-cup muffin tins or line with papers.
2. Combine peanut butter and powdered sugar, beat until light and fluffy.
3. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and slat together in a medium bowl.
4. Combine butter and granulated sugar, beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add chocolate and beat until combined.
5. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture and beat to combine. Add vanilla and mix well.
6. Fill muffin tins half full with batter. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter mixture on top of batter (don't spread). Spoon remaining batter over peanut butter. Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool and frost with your favorite peanut butter icing.

*Note- the recipe only makes 12 so double if you want more. Mine needed the full 20 minutes to bake through because of the peanut butter center.
*I don't have a favorite pb icing recipe so I used a combination of softened butter, milk powdered sugar and pb. Enjoy!