SAMOA BUNDT CAKE

This cake is exactly what you're thinking....it's created to look and taste similar to the wonderful Samoa cookies the Girl Scouts made famous!  So, if you're a fan.....you're going to love this cake. The cake itself is super chocolaty and moist.   The frosting is a caramel creation covered in toasted coconut and melted chocolate.   Save up your calories for this one!  It's worth it.

I will warn you....this recipe takes time.  But I guarantee that you and your guests will love it.  You'll see from the jelly beans and robin's eggs, I chose to bring this to Easter dinner.

**this recipe has already been adjusted for High Altitude Baking**

INGREDIENTS:

Brown Sugar Batter:

1 stick softened butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. Flour

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt 

½ cup whole milk

Chocolate Batter:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup oil

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup milk

3/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp. flour

½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ cup boiling water

Frosting:

1 can Dulce de Leche (this can be found with the condensed/evaporated milk)

½ cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 sticks butter; softened

½ tsp. salt

1 cup toasted coconut

Topping:

1 ½ cups toasted coconut

½ cup melted chocolate chips

Begin by making the brown sugar batter.  In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Alternate adding the flour and milk to the butter mixture; one at a time, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Set batter aside. 

Next make the chocolate batter.  Cream sugar and oil in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg, vanilla, and milk.  In a medium bowl mix the dry ingredients.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the oil mixture until well combined.  Carefully stir in the boiling water. 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a bundt pan.  This is a marble cake.  Pour some of the brown sugar batter into the pan, then top it with some of the chocolate batter.  Alternate until both batter bowls are empty.  (the recipe did not say to swirl the batter as most marble cakes do, so my cake did not have any marbling.  I would try swirling)  Tap bundt pan on the counter a couple times to remove bubbles.  Bake approximately 1 hour or until skewer inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool entirely.  

While the cake is cooling.  Toast the coconut.  Spread coconut on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for approximately 6-10 minutes, until desired color is reached. (I did all the coconut at once, so it took quite a bit of time....I would recommend doing 1 cup at a time, it will be faster and cook more evenly)  Beat Dulce de Leche, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt for 3 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup toasted coconut.  Chill for 1 hour. 

Frost the cake with the frosting.  Press remaining toasted coconut into the sides and top of the frosted cake.  Melt chocolate chips in the microwave for approximately 1 minute, stir and continue cooking until desired consistency.  Place in baggie or pastry bag and drizzle stripes on the cake.  

Enjoy!

recipe c/o:  www.betsylife.com