All-New Cake Mix Doctor - Anne Byrn [142]
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
For the glaze and topping
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (see Coconut Tips, on this page)
1¼ cups milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
1. Make the cake: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist a 13 by 9–inch glass or metal cake pan with vegetable oil spray, then dust it with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside.
Recipe Reminders
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PREP NOTES
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SPECIAL TOUCHES
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2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 1½ minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again. The batter should look well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula, and place the pan in the oven.
3. Bake the cake until it is golden brown and the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer the cake pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Poke holes in the cake using a fork.
4. Make the glaze and topping: While the cake cools, grate the coconut by placing it in a food processor and pulsing it for 10 to 15 seconds. Set the grated coconut aside.
5. Heat the milk and sugar in a small saucepan over medium to high heat, stirring constantly. Continue to stir just until the milk begins to steam. Remove the pan from the heat and add ½ cup of the grated coconut. Slowly spoon the warm glaze over the cake, allowing it to soak into the cake. Let the cake cool to room temperature, 20 minutes, before frosting.
6. Place ½ cup of the grated coconut in a large bowl and stir in the whipped topping. Spread the coconut topping over the top of the cooled cake. Scatter the remaining 1 cup of coconut over the top. Cover the cake and refrigerate it for 20 minutes before serving.
Keep It Fresh! Store this cake, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to five days.
CARAMEL TRES LECHES CAKE
serves:
16 to 20
prep:
30 minutes
bake:
32 to 35 minutes
chill:
4 hours
I’VE HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE to have traveled to Texas many times on book tours. I love the friendliness of the people there, and I always come away having learned about a new (for me) ingredient. I remember the first time I heard about the tres leches cake from the students in my cooking class. This is a Nicaraguan cake that is soaked in a syrup made from three milks (the tres leches of its name). By the end of the class I had a pretty good idea how to make one.
Before I left for the airport I was wandering the aisles of the wonderful Central Market, shopping for some items to take home in my suitcase (pre 9/11 as you can tell) and I found dulce de leche, a caramelized version of sweetened condensed milk. I made a tres leches cake when I returned to Nashville and have since shared my recipes for it in my books.
Here is that recipe, a wonderful twist on the classic cake. Make it when good peaches are at hand, for they are delicious sliced and served on top. Dulce de leche is now easily found in many supermarkets along with the canned milks.
Recipe Reminders
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