Zucchini Coconut Layer Cake

This has now become my new favorite cake. And it's not even chocolate!  It starts with a cake mix (my latest craze) and you just bump it up from there. I could literally just eat this icing out of a bowl.  It's a marshmallow icing which is my favorite. It makes so much icing that I have a chocolate cake in the oven since I need to use up the rest of it!  But really.....this cake is just the best I've had in a very long time. The recipe comes from Woman's World.
We survived Hurrican Irene with hardly any real damage in the northern Virginia area.  We're very lucky. I had been down in Richmond on Saturday and made the (dumb) decision to drive back up to northern Virginia since it wasn't really "that bad." Well, down there it was way worse than here.  I was greeted on the highway with a huge fallen tree across all three lanes.....then on the next highway that I needed to get on to the first thing I saw was a car turned upside down. That's when my heart started to race and I even thought of pulling off I-95 and staying in a motel for the night. But I just slowed down and took my time getting back home. There were numerous cars that spun out. I guess from traveling too fast. But I made it back safe and swore NEVER again to when there is a chance of a hurricane ahead.  Stupid...stupid.....


Anyhow, here is this simple, fantastic and easy recipe. Oh and a tip.....I don't care to have any kind of green color from the zucchini skin to be seen in the cake. This type of cake, in my humble opinion just looks so much prettier if you peel the zucchini which is what I did. But that's just my opinion here!

Cake

1 package (18.25 oz) French vanilla cake mix (couldn't find French vanilla here so I used just a yellow mix)
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
2 medium zucchini, 14 oz., grated, 2 cups
1/2 tsp coconut extract (my addition)
Frosting

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 container (16 oz) Marshmallow Fluff
2 1/2 cups confectioners's sugar
2 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract (preferably clear)
2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat 2 (8") round cake pans with cooking spray.  On medium speed, beat together cake mix, eggs, 1 cup water and oil (and extract, if using).  Stir in zucchini.  Evenly divide between pans.  Bake 28-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool on rack 20 minutes.  Transfer from pans to racks; cool completely, 30 minutes.

Meanwhile on medium speed, beat butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add Fluff; beat until combined.  On low, gradually beat in sugar, then coconut and vanilla extracts.

Place one cake layer on serving plate; spread with 1 cup frosting.  Top with remaining layer.  Spread cake top and side with remaining frosting.  Press coconut  onto side of cake.  If not serving immediately, refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving.

Comments

My Inner Chick said…
Debbie, we have zucchini up the ying yang. Can't wait to make this with my mommy! It looks so DELISH. PS. I love recipes using the box cake mixes! So easy.
Nutmeg Nanny said…
This looks awesome! I'm used to eating tons of zucchini in the summer...it's my favorite!
Cassie said…
Zucchini and coconut -- love that combination! It's a beautiful cake!

So glad you didn't have any damage from the hurricane!
Unknown said…
The cake looks absolutely beautiful, Debbie!
And yes, probably not a good idea to try and drive through hurricane no matter how small it may be... glad you made it home safely :)
Donna-FFW said…
LOVE this cake! It is on my to do list. GREAT use of zucchini! Thanks.
The Blonde Duck said…
It sounds really good!

I didn't see the Help--I don't like teary movies!
teresa said…
how fun! i love that you add zucchini to a box mix, YUM!
Monica H said…
I've been craving this cake since I saw it in your blog. I even bought a cake mix last night and some zucchini to make it. I wonder if I could turn it into a bundt and top it with a vanilla glaze? I love the idea of the frosting, but I'm busy these days!