This weekend was full of baking for dear ones as there were celebrations all around! I made two of my favorite cakes for a sweet friend and her high school graduate. These were special requests made just for them.

The Chocolate Whiskey Cake with Whiskey Caramel Sauce is one you have all seen before. It was Greg's 40th Birthday cake. It is a family and friend favorite and requested quite frequently. This cake was the top seller at the children's school auction this past year! What am I going to make next year?! 

The Coconut Layer Cake is one of my favorite cakes to make and to eat! I don't make it very often so when I do it is a real treat. The recipe came from the Tyler Florence Family Meal Cookbook. It is a beautiful book with several amazing dishes in it. 

I have adapted this recipe a bit. It calls for 2 cups of sweetened shredded coconut in the frosting. The original instructions said to toast those 2 cups of coconut and stir the toasted into the frosting and reserve 1/2 cup for the top. I could only find the really finely shredded sweetened coconut and did not like the look of the little brown pieces in the icing so I just added 1 1/2 cups of un-toasted shredded coconut to the icing and then put the bigger toasted flakes on as another layer. It is a beautiful cake. 

Check out the Chocolate Whiskey Cake and Coconut Layer Cake recipes...


To make the Chocolate Whiskey cake you will need:

The Cake: 
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sifted dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup decent quality Tennessee whiskey or bourbon

The Caramel Sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch cream of tartar
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter a standard (12-cup) bunt pan. Dust with 1 tablespoon each flour and cocoa powder, and tap and turn until pan is completely coated. Dump out excess.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, whisking until thoroughly combined. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and mix with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until dry ingredients are almost incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add warm water and whiskey and mix until just combined and no dry ingredients remain. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the deepest part of the pan comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack until cool enough to handle, then gently invert onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.

To prepare caramel, place sugar and cream of tartar in a medium, high-sided saucepan set over medium-high heat. Pour water around edges. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook for 2 minutes (the steam buildup will help dissolve any stray sugar crystals on the sides). Remove cover and continue to boil, without stirring, until sugar caramelizes to a light amber color, about 5 to 7 minutes. Watch it carefully, as it can go from golden brown to burnt in no time if left unattended.

Remove from heat and quickly whisk in cream and butter (mixture will bubble vigorously), then return to low heat and whisk until completely smooth. It may seem like it is seizing, but keep whisking and all the hard caramel chunks should dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool for about 2 minutes, then stir in whiskey. Transfer to a heat-proof container and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, or until thickened yet still pourable. 

Pour about half of the caramel over the top of cake, letting it drip down the edges and pool at the base. Slice and serve and drizzle with additional caramel as desired. Cake will keep, stored in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.

***I successfully cut this recipe in half and made and adorable little bundt cake. This is definitely one I will make again and give as gifts. 

I found this recipe a few years ago on a great food blog called Love of Olive Oil. They have some really amazing food. Be sure to check them out! 

To make the Coconut Layer Cake you will need: 

The Cake: 
1 package yellow cake mix (one without pudding included)
1 3.4 oz package of instant vanilla pudding
4 large eggs
1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil
2 cups of sweetened shredded coconut

The Frosting:
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut 
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (at room temperature)
8 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
2 teaspoons of whole milk
3 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar 
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of unsweetened coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans. 

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding, eggs, oil, and 1 1/2 cups of water. Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Once combined stir in the coconut. 

Distribute the cake batter evenly in the 3 pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center of the cake. 

Once the cakes are out of the oven spread the 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened flakes of coconut on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Set them aside to cool. 

Combine the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Adding one ingredient at a time, making sure that it is completely incorporated into the mixture, add the milk, powdered sugar, then vanilla. Finally, stir in the 
1 1/2 cups of sweetened shredded coconut. 

To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake plate and spread with a layer of frosting. Sprinkle a handful of the toasted coconut on top. Repeat this process with the two remaining layers. Refrigerate until ready to serve.