Chocolate Caramel Coconut Cake
Okay friends, if there was ever a recipe of mine you ought to try, this one is it!
This is my homage to my favorite Girl Scout Cookies, the Caramel Delites or Samoas.
My version of this cake combines all the things I love about the classic cookie — sweet coconut, rich chocolate and luscious caramel.
The super moist and fudgy cake gets a generous topping of my caramel cream cheese frosting. Toasted sweet coconut gets pressed into the frosted cake, followed by drizzles of melted chocolate and MORE caramel!
Do I have you drooling yet and ready to bake this cake RIGHT THIS MINUTE??? 😉
My super easy recipe is made even more simple by using boxed cake mix. While you can certainly make a cake from scratch, there are several brands that bake up a very moist and delicious cake.
My complete recipe is at the bottom of this post. Give it a try and let me know how you like it. 🙂
Here’s how to make it.
I used a box of chocolate fudge cake mix. You can use any brand you prefer, but I like Betty Crocker brand mixes.
Follow the instructions on the back of the box to make the cake. This particular mix calls for adding 1 1/4 cups water, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and 3 large eggs. I also added 1 teaspoon of coconut extract to the batter to really amp up the coconut flavor.
Generously spray a bundt pan with baking spray (the one that also has flour in it). Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees. Insert a thin skewer (or knife) into the middle of the cake to test if it’s done (no crumbs should stick to the skewer or knife).
Invert the cake onto a serving dish then let it cool completely.
While the cake cools, and while the oven is still hot, toast the coconut.
Spread out sweetened coconut flakes on a large baking pan.
Bake the coconut for 3 minutes at 350 degrees; use a spatula to stir the coconut around. Bake for another 3 minutes; stir again to ensure even browning.
If the coconut is still too light, bake for 3 more minutes, but watch it carefully at this point. Once browned, remove the coconut from the pan and allow to cool.
While the cake and coconut cool, prepare the frosting.
Using an electric handheld mixer, mix the softened cream cheese with the caramel sauce. You can use the same caramel sauce that you pour over ice cream. I used salted caramel sauce for this recipe, but any thick caramel sauce will do. Beat until creamy.
This is the caramel sauce I used:
This tastes great already! For future reference, this is the base for a delicious fruit dip — just mix in some marshmallow creme to the cream cheese-caramel mixture.
So, back to the frosting. Mix in up to 4 cups of powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. I used only 3 cups of powdered sugar, but if you want a very thick layer of frosting on top of your cake, use all 4 cups of powdered sugar.
Once the cake has cooled sufficiently, it’s time to frost it.
Spread the frosting all over the cake, covering it entirely.
Immediately sprinkle the coconut over the frosted cake. To add the coconut to the sides, grab a handful of coconut and press it into the sides of the cake. Shake off any excess coconut.
Now for the chocolate sauce.
Melt a cup of chocolate chips for 30 seconds in a microwave-safe glass bowl or cup. Stir the chocolate — it might not be melted at this point, however, but stir it nonetheless.
Melt the chocolate for 30 more seconds then stir again. Once again, it may not appear as if the chocolate is melted, but trust me — the chips are already mostly melted, and will continue to melt with the heat of the glass. Do not microwave the chocolate any more or it will seize and become stiff, lumpy and unworkable.
Scoop out the melted chocolate and place it into a sandwich bag.
Twist the top of the bag to keep the melted chocolate in one corner of the bag. Use a pair of scissors to snip off a tiny piece of one corner of the bag.
Squeeze the melted chocolate over the top of the cake. I’m sure you can decorate your cake a lot nicer than I did mine. 😉
Drizzle some caramel over the cake, in the spaces between the chocolate.
Oh my goodness…this cake is D E L I C I O U S!!!
Serve a large slice of this incredible edible with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk. 🙂
Mmmmmm mmmmmm good! Look how moist the cake is!
Care for a slice? I’ll eat this one for you. 😉
Not convinced yet? How about now? 😉
Give my recipe a try. I KNOW you’ll like it. 🙂
- 1 box Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge cake mix
- 1¼ cups water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 2 cups (packed) sweetened coconut flakes
- 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese
- ½ cup caramel sauce
- 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoons caramel sauce
- Mix all of the ingredients for the cake together using a whisk. Mix just until combined and most of the lumps disappear. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter into a bundt pan sprayed with baking spray. Bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Let it cool completely.
- Spread the coconut onto a large baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes to ensure even browning. Bake until golden brown.
- Remove the toasted coconut from the hot pan; allow to cool completely.
- Beat the cream cheese and caramel sauce until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, one cup a time, mixing until thick and creamy. Use all four cups of powdered sugar if you like your cakes frosted with a thick layer of frosting, otherwise, three cups of sugar will suffice.
- Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe glass cup or bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds then stir. Microwave for 30 more seconds then stir again. Place the melted chocolate into a small sandwich bag. Snip a tiny piece off one corner of the bag. Squeeze the melted chocolate over the top of the cake.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce over the top of the cake.
