3-DAY COCONUT CAKE

Contributed By: dhanyaka
Everyday Cheapskate

The recipe that follows calls for "frozen coconut." As many times as I have made this cake, I have yet to find such a thing where I live in California. I've looked everywhere, asked store managers and anyone else who might be handy -- nowhere to be found. I do understand, however, that frozen coconut is readily available in other parts of the country in a supermarket's frozen food case. Someone suggested recently that I try an Indian market and I will do that as soon as I, well, locate an Indian market in my town. In the past, I have tried fresh coconut with excellent results, but it was a real pain to crack, pry, smash, break, drain, peel and grate. So, I will continue to use Angel's grated sweetened coconut that comes in a bag and can be found in the baking aisle of any food market.

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Total Preparation Time: More than 2 hours
Actual Cooking Time: 15 to 30 minutes
Number of Servings: More than 10
Origin: American
Special Features: Simple (6 ingredients or less)
Kids can help make it
Kids can help make it
Make Ahead
Meal Type: Breakfast & Brunch
Snack
Dessert

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Ingredients

1 package White cake mix
16 ounces Sour cream
12 ounces Frozen coconut (thawed and drained)
1-1/2 cups Cool Whip
1 cup Granulated sugar

Preparation

1. The night before you make this cake, blend together the sour cream, coconut and sugar. Separate 1 cup of mixture and place in a separate bowl. Refrigerate both portions.

2. Prepare cake mix as per instructions on the back of the box, in two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. Let cool. Using a long, serrated knife, split both layers in half horizontally, to end up with four layers.

3. Place one layer of cake on the plate of a cake stand or cake saver that has a top. Spread all but the reserved 1 cup of coconut mixture between the layers.

4. Mix Cool Whip together with the reserved 1 cup coconut mixture. Frost sides and top of cake with this mixture. Cover the cake and place in the refrigerator.

5. Do not remove or eat for three days. Do not even peek. The longer this cake sits in the refrigerator, the better it gets. However, it is not humanly possible to wait longer than three days. Store in your refrigerator down to the last delicious crumb.

Cook's Notes

Nutrition Information

Recipe Comments

Commented by: vwstod

FROZEN COCONUT is available at most WAL MART stores across the country. I am in the Pacific Northwest and they have it here.

 

Commented by: bunsy

I live in CA (S.F. Bay Area) and you can find fresh frozen coconut in the Asian markets. Make sure to go to the larger Asian grocery stores. My local store had stacks and stacks of frozen coconut -- both regular coconut & "young coconut" (FYI - the regular, mature coconut has a different texture than young coconut. Young coconut is softer, more tender, almost-gelatinous texture -- so make sure you get the regular kind). They even had frozen coconut milk and unsweetened coconut cream, which is also hard to find. As mentioned by a previous poster, if you do opt to use the sweetened flaked coconut from the shelf, make sure to decrease your sugar amounts to compensate for the added sweetness.

 

Commented by: birdwatcher

You will only find frozen coconut in the south...they didn't know what it was in ID and my sister can't find it in NH either. I find that the frozen coconut sometimes gives a "soapy" taste, so prefer using that in the bag. My aunt has wrapped this cake and frozen it for a couple of weeks, then thawed to serve, and it was as good as ever!

 

Commented by: msbaker2

They sell the frozen coconut here in FL and I used it a few times but it was out for Thanksgiving, so I used the Bakers brand in the bag but not straight out of the bag as this is too sweet for this recipe and the texture size is too large out of the bag. I soaked the sugar off the coconut, squeezed out the water, let it dry off in the refrigerator, then pulsed it a few times in the food processor to get the tiny cut size as the frozen brand; placed the coconut in a plastic bag in the freezer and it was perfect to use for this recipe. Its worth the work for this delicious cake and cheaper to buy than the frozen. Hope this helps.

 

Commented by: cookies15

I make this cake but i don't use whipped topping. It turns out wonderful. Use 24 ounces of frozen cocoanut instead of twelve. Spread it thick between the layers and use the rest to ice the outside of the cake. Place waxed paper around the bottom of the cake to catch the drips. Use a small sptulal to spread the icing from the bottom of the cake upward. It will stick. Finish the top of the cake with the rest of the icing. Besure to mix the icing 24 hours before you ice the cake. It is wonderful!!!! I live in the south and can't find frozen cocoanut at any of our supermarkets either. I will try an Indian store.

 

Commented by: charlottew

Thank you for this recipe. My ex-mother-in-law used to make this cake. I loved it. We are not on talking terms and I thought I would never get this wonderful cake again. A must try! Sure to become a family favorite.

 

Commented by: lilylulu

Here's the scoop - frozen coconut is readily available in the "South" - but otherwise forget it. As a displaced southerner - I have been able to find unsweetened frozen coconut at Indian food markets - most major cities have them - lots of coconut curries out there. Anyway - the big deal is that frozen coconut does not have sugar added to it - if you have to substitute the flake coconut - don't use as much sugar and pulse it a couple of times in the food processsor to get the right texture.

 

Commented by: kelleywashburn

OMG! I just moved to CA from NC and I have spent all morning on the phone with various grocers looking for frozen coconut. This is the 3-day recipe my family has used for years and years and I can attest to its greatness - IF you can find and use the frozen coconut. It makes the cake more moist and rich in flavor. So what's with CA not carrying this item? I'll have to look for another Easter dessert to make this year....

 

Commented by: camerata89

I was really excited about making this cake because I thought it was going to be "the one" but I'm sorry to say I'll keep looking. While the flavors are good and the cake itself is easy to make, I wasn't blown away. It wasn't as moist as I'd hoped it would be, even after sitting for 3 days in my refrigerator.