Best Coconut Cake Ever

Okey-doke. Half a bottle (shared with A!) of the charmingly cheap Cristalino later, here's the recipe, with notes.

(My Paternal Grandmother's) Coconut Cake

Use 8" pans. I used 9" pans, on account of I just plumb didn't have 8" pans, but I wanted you to know the truth.

Cook one box of Duncan Heinz [sic]* yellow butter cake mix according to the directions. If you're checking this recipe on your Blackberry and you're at the store, make sure you have three eggs, a stick of butter and some Crisco, because the box calls for them.

Cool the cakes thoroughly. When cool, slice layers in half. Makes 4. I have to thank Grandmother here for doing the math: slicing two things in half does, in fact, make four. And I also want to say that, when she told me about the recipe, she told me that my Grandfather was the one with the idea to slice the layers in two, because it's better that way. He's been dead for only a few years and this struck me as really sweet. Yeah, I'm sentimental sometimes, and my Grandmother is one of my favorite people in the world, so there. As far as I can tell, she and my Grandfather had one of the best marriages in the world too, so I try to take notes.

Filling

8 ounces sour cream

1.5 cups sugar

4 packages frozen coconut (6 ounces) thawed (save 1/2 package for icing) Okay. This is embarrassing. I actually had no idea you could buy frozen coconut. Considering my love for frozen broccoli, you would think I would have known. Frozen coconut is the best thing ever. It isn't sweetened and you don't even have to go to the Fancy Mart to get it. It's right there next to the Cool Whip. Wow. You can teach a thirty four year old dog (almost seven in dog years!) new tricks.

1 teaspoon almond extract

Put Filling between three layers.

Ice fourth layer and whole cake with Extra Large tub Cool Whip and rest of coconut. Reserve a little coconut for top.

Keep refrigerated. Let sit overnight.

Now, I'm at the "sit overnight" stage, so I can't swear it'll turn out all right, but I think it's all good, except for one thing. I bought the Cool Whip in the frozen section and beat it with a fork to thaw it. I think it would've been prettier if I'd let it thaw in the fridge overnight before icing or if I'd just bought it thawed. I'm a Cool Whip novice. What can I say? And, as an aside, why does it gross me out when my mom freezes vegetable soup or spaghetti sauce in a used Cool Whip container? Used lime sherbet containers don't bother me in the least. Can't explain it.

Namasté, y'all!


*Tiny mistakes run in Dad's family. He insists on calling U-Haul "U_haul-Its." I don't even care any more. I gave up. And there's a restaurant in town that he calls "Tara's," which is fine, but the name of the restaurant is "Terra." It's a great place to eat, but let's chat about that another time, mmm'k?