So I know I said I love to make things from scratch, so I hope this cake does not mislead anyone! Because I do love to scratch up a recipe but I don’t mind taking shortcuts either. So here is a shortcut recipe! The main reason I chose this is because it is my Mom’s FAVORITE cake. I promised her a few times this year I would make it and had not gotten to it yet. The other reason I decided this would be my first one to share… EVERYONE asks me for the recipe when they try it. The reason being it taste like wedding cake. So you can forgo the coconut finish and have an amazing almond/vanilla white cake.

So like I said this is a “shortcut” recipe, meaning it starts with a boxed cake mix. I prefer the Duncan Hines cake mixes because they always seem to be so spot on. They are always moist, but use your favorite brand. Telling you how to make this could not be any easier… in fact at this moment I am having remorse for sharing this as my first recipe because it is ridiculously easy… but the cake is done, pictures are taken, so I feel pretty committed. So make the cake according to the directions on the back of the box. My sister, Nissa assisted in the cake baking festivities. And she asked me why the cake only called for egg whites. Well, this cake is a white cake so they are trying to keep all color out of the cake (no egg yolks, clear vanilla, etc). If that does not matter to you, use regular vanilla and you can use the whole egg (but I save my yolks and make crème brulee… YUMMY!).

To make this cake… follow the directions on the box (I make 2 boxes and use 8” round cake pans). Yup… really it’s that difficult! (I told you I was remorseful!) My wonderful God-mother (Sylvia) taught me to make this cake and the frosting! She only adds one flavoring to her cake, but I prefer both in the cake and the frosting. So I tweaked it. But I assure you not a soul on this earth makes this cake or any other baked good as well as her. She has taught me a lot about baking over the years! I add in about a tablespoon-ish (I am always heavy handed with these two flavorings) of vanilla and Almond. That is it! That is the only change you make to the cake. But it is crazy how much it improves it and changes it. Trust me… MAKE THE CAKE. You will understand!
So really that is it for the cake. I bake according to the box. I use professional grade baking pans that my Fabulous Mother-in-law gave me when Jody and I got married. They truly do make the difference. These are the equivalent to good make-up brushes! Invest in them! They make your cakes bake even and tall and they are usually pretty flat across the top. Some trimming is needed if you want, but they are great!

• So bake the cake according to the box. CHECK!
• Use good pans. CHECK!
• Revel in the glorious smell wafting from the over. CHECK! CHECK! CHECK! Even Nissa made a comment about this one.

So on to the frosting…

This too is fairly simple; pop open a can of frosting. I kid! I kid! That stuff is terrible! Throw that shit in the trash. This frosting starts with a Crisco base. You can do a butter base, but this way it can sit on the counter. If you prefer butter, go ahead. I have made it both ways. I buy the 1 cup Crisco “blocks”, because it saves me from measuring and keeps one more thing clean in my kitchen while I am baking. I throw that in the Kitchenaid and start it whipping. I like to add the flavoring now, because the frosting can go from too thick to too thin quickly. So I want to make sure I don’t add in too much wet ingredients at the end. Again I start with a tablespoon-ish of each flavoring. As you go you can taste it to your liking to see if it needs more of either. Now start to slowly add in the 2lbs of powder sugar (FYI: that is a whole bag of powder sugar). When it starts to get too thick, add in a tablespoon a water to a time. Do not be like me when I am in a rush and pour in more than that too fast… you will end up with runny frosting quickly! That is it alternate you sugar and water until you reach the consistency you want. I look for a happy medium. I want it spreadable, but not too thin. I don’t want it sliding off my cake. Once you make it a couple of times, you will decide how you like it best. ***REMEMBER to add any extra flavoring that you want before you are happy with the texture or you could make it too thin.***

Now Frost the cake… I cut my 2 8” layers in half so I have 4 thinner layer. But you can keep it to 2 8” layers! My mom likes coconut between each layer… but they are not as stable and honestly I forget after I have put on the 2nd layer, so I just put the coconut on the outside, but if you LOVE coconut… add it between your layers!

Recipe:
Cake
2 White Cake Mixes (make according to the box)
1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon Almond extract

Prepare cake according to directions on the box. Add in vanilla and almond, mix well. Grease 2 8” round pans and back according to box.

Tips: Once I have my batter in the pans, I “pop” the pans on the counter to help remove air bubbles and to level the batter before it hits the oven. Adjust the flavor to your preference, add a little extra if you want a stronger flavor or scale back slightly for a more subtle flavor.

Frosting
1 cup Crisco
2lbs Powder Sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon Almond extract
Water- added for desired consistency
1 7oz bag of sweetened coconut flakes

Mix Crisco, vanilla and almond. Slowly add in powder sugar, alternating with a tablespoon of water until you reach your desired consistency. Frost your cake and add coconut.

Tips: If you are looking for a smoother texture for your frosting, sift the powder sugar first. Adjust the flavor to your preference, add a little extra if you want a stronger flavor or scale back slightly for a more subtle flavor. Add coconut between layers for extra flavor.

Happy Baking!!