Coconut Sheet Cake

Coconut Sheet Cake - made February 16, 2015, recipe adapted from Chef in Training

I love coconut, I love coconut, I love coconut. If you don’t, you can skip this post but know that you’re missing out. I also love sheet cakes because they’re so easy to make and so hard to get wrong. Even though every single time I don’t actually bake it in a sheet pan but in a 9 x 13 pan to make for a thicker cake. It’s not even a super thick cake so I always think baking in a sheet pan would make it really, really thin. Remember, thin is the goal for my body, not my cakes.

The easy part is you just mix the ingredients together, spread in the pan and bake. While it’s baking, you make the frosting then spread it over the hot cake once it’s out of the oven. Easy. No messing about with cooling layers of cake, trying to get the consistency of the frosting right or anything else remotely fussy. Mix cake, bake, mix frosting, pour, cool, eat.

Best part is at the end of all that easy, you have a delicious cake. I loved this cake. If I had to have a coconut equivalent of the Texas Fudge Cake and the Texas Vanilla Cake that I love, this would be it. Love.

2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Frosting
1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoons milk
16 ounces confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
sweetened shredded coconut for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and sugar; set aside.
3. In medium saucepan, combine butter, water and shortening. Bring to a boil then add to flour mixture and stir to combine.
4. Add buttermilk, baking soda, eggs and vanilla, mixing after each addition. Stir in coconut.
5. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Make the frosting: bring butter and milk to a boil, stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract, whisking until smooth and combined.
7. When cake is done, remove from oven and poke holes in hot cake with a fork. Pour frosting evenly over the top.
8. Sprinkle top with shredded coconut.