Page 91 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

L U S C I O U S L A Y E R S 73

ASSEMBLY TIME: 15 MINUTES beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the
sides again if needed. The batter should
look well combined. Divide the batter
CAKE:
between the prepared pans, smoothing it
Solid vegetable shortening for greasing out with the rubber spatula. Place the
the pans pans in the oven side by side.
Flour for dusting the pans
3. Bake the cakes until they spring back
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German
when lightly pressed with your finger,
chocolate cake mix
28 to 32 minutes.
1 ⁄4 cups water
1
4. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting: Com-
1 ⁄4 cup vegetable oil
bine the sugar, sour cream, and thawed
3 large eggs
coconut in a medium-size bowl. Let the
mixture rest in the refrigerator, stirring it
COCONUT FROSTING: occasionally, until the sugar dissolves,
30 minutes.
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream 5. Remove the cake pans from the oven
1
1 package (12 ounces; 3 ⁄2 cups) frozen and place them on wire racks to cool for
unsweetened grated coconut, thawed 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around
the edge of each layer and invert each onto
a rack, then invert again onto another rack
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven
so that the cakes are right side up. Allow
and preheat the oven to 350°F. Gener-
to cool completely, 30 minutes more.
ously grease two 9-inch round cake pans
with solid vegetable shortening, then dust 6. When the frosting is ready, assemble
with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the cake: Carefully slice the cake layers in
the pans aside. half horizontally, using a large, sharp ser-
rated bread knife or a long piece of unfla-
2. Place the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs
vored dental floss. You will have 4 layers.
in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an elec-
Place the bottom half of a cake layer on
tric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop
the base of a cake saver or on a serving
the machine and scrape down the sides
platter, cut side up. Spread with some of
of the bowl with a rubber spatula. In -
the coconut frosting. Top with the match-
crease the mixer speed to medium and
ing top half of the layer, cut side down.