Coconut Craze: Coconut Cream Cake

sorry that's such a blurry photo.  i was in a hurry to eat it. 

I thought it fitting to end Coconut Craze Week with the recipe that got me thinking about coconut in the first place.  How could I not be drawn in when the recipe called for coconut cream, coconut extract AND flaked coconut?  A coconut-lover's dream! The fact that I had to search five different stores before finding coconut cream only built my anticipation for this gooey, creamy cake all the more.  Incidentally, I have come to the conclusion that the main difference between coconut milk and coconut cream is that coconut milk is more widely available.  Technically, coconut cream has less water than coconut milk, but the coconut milk I used for my Coconut Sticky Rice, seemed plenty thick.  In the future (when I run out of the five cans of coconut cream I snatched up upon finding it), I think coconut milk will work just fine for this recipe.

 After living and breathing coconut for the past week, it's safe to say, I'm good.  No more obsessive thoughts about coconut, at least not for a while.

Coconut Cream Cake

1 package white cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

14 oz can coconut cream

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup flaked coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, eggs, oil, water and coconut flavoring. Beat for 2 minutes and pour into 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
3. In a medium bowl, combine coconut cream with sweetened condensed milk and stir until smooth. When cake comes out of the oven, poke holes into it in even rows using a large fork or chopsticks. Pour most of the milk mixture over over the cake.  Gauge the amount of mixture you pour on the cake by how quickly it is absorbed.  Stop once it starts pooling on the top (see picture).  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.  
4. In a large bowl, whisk cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue whipping until stiff. Spread over cooled cake. Sprinkle top with flaked coconut.

*If you hear of any writing contests that require the word "coconut" to be used as much as possible, let me know.  This post may stand a chance of winning!*