Strawberry Pecan Coconut Cake!

Some of the most popular cake recipes I have on my site are anything strawberry or coconut, so it seemed like the two, combined, would be a great idea!!!  This is the result and it turned out wonderful!!!  This is a moist and delicious cake!   We did it as a sheet cake, but you can also bake this in three nine inch round cake pans and stack it, if you want to go all out!!!    This would be a perfect cake for Easter!!! 

 Here is what you will need:

1  (15.25 oz.) white cake mix

2  (3 oz.) boxes strawberry jello

3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

3/4 cup milk

4 large eggs

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, diced

1 cup coconut

1 cup pecans, chopped

Icing

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature

4 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup strawberries, diced

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1 cup coconut for garnishing the top of the cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the cake mix and dry jello.  Add the vegetable oil, milk, and eggs until incorporated.   Add the strawberries, coconut and pecans and beat with electric mixer just until it is well blended.   

Spray and 9"x 13" baking pan with nonstick baking spray.  Pour the batter in the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool completely.

For the icing, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer.  Add the 1/2 cup coconut, 1/2 cup strawberries, and 1/2 cup pecans.   Spread over the cooled cake.

 Top with the 1 cup coconut to garnish!!!

Strawberries and Cream Butter Cake!

This recipe is one I found in the Pillsbury 45th Annual Bake-Off Contest publication.  My husband loves strawberries and this is the time of year they are best, so I wanted to make him a really good strawberry dessert.  

 To be honest you can put fresh strawberries and whipped cream on those little round cakes you buy at the store (the ones they keep next to the strawberries) and he is happy as a clam.   However, I didn't think that was blog worthy...lol.  

This cake is best served warm from the oven, either by itself or with fresh strawberries, that have been sliced and macerated, which just means sweetened and refrigerated for a couple of hours to release their juices.  I just use plain ole sugar.  I see recipes for honey and liqueurs and such though. I still use plain ole sugar.

 If I got all fancy with it, my husband would say 'What's wrong with the strawberries?'   Some things need to be left alone...lol.  Add a  dollop of whipped cream and it is wonderful!   You can serve it as a coffee cake or breakfast/ brunch cake by itself and it is also really good.

Ingredients:

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookies

1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)

3/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup strawberry jam (or jelly)

fresh strawberries and whipped cream for topping

Here is what you need:

Roll of sugar cookies, can of sweetened condensed milk, eggs, strawberry jam (or jelly), flour, butter, sugar, and fresh strawberries and whipped cream for topping.

 

Leave the roll of cookie dough out on the counter for about 30 minutes to soften.  Spray a 9"x13" baking pan well with baking spray.  Press the cookies in the bottom of the pan.

Beat together the softened butter and the sugar until it is whipped and light.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat. Using the low speed of your mixer, add in 1/3 flour, 1/3 condensed milk alternating and ending with flour.   Pour the batter over the cookie layer.

Drop the strawberry jam by teaspoonfuls over the batter and then drag a knife through it lightly to swirl.  You want it to stay on top so be gentle.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 to 50 minutes.  At 45 minutes test it with a toothpick inserted in the center, it should come out clean. All ovens vary and this is a dense cake so it could take the center a few extra minutes.