Tiki Chocolate Cake

Well it is time for another family lunch at my grandmothers house. This time in honor of Fathers Day. And as I scoured my recipes for a dessert to bring I found this recipe and lit up like a Christmas tree!! It is everything I love in a good family function recipe. Its relatively easy, transports nicely, and is a show piece! How can I resist??

So I decided to go for it and try to recreate this wonderful piece of art!!

Recipe:
1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Germn chocolate)
4 large eggs
1c buttermilk
1/2c vegetable oil
1/2 bag sweetened coconut flakes
1 can chocolate frosting
1 can vanilla frosting

Mix ingredients together with a mixer. I used a small cake pan and two glass pyrex, oven safe bowls. You need it to have a cylindrical type shape. I just wish I had a small cake pan. My cake is going to look a little squatter than this cake. But thats okay. I am sure it will work out just fine. Bake for 20-30 minnutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Take 1/2 a bag of sweetened coconut and place is a skillet over medium heat. Stir continuously so the flakes do not burn. Once the coconut flakes are toasted and brown, remove from the pan and let them cool completely.

Once the cake is completely cool assess your 3 layers and decide which layer will be on the bottom and top. And if your flat layer is larger than your bowl cakes you need to trim it so they are level. I had to do this. Place your bottom layer on a cake plate and place a layer of chocolate frosting on top. Place your flat second layer on top of the frosting and add some chocolate frosting to the top of that layer. Finally take your top layer and gently cut a circular hole in the top. This will be what looks like the top of the coconut drink when frosted. Place your layer on the frosting.

Take the chocolate frosting and frost the outside of the cake making sure not to get the top of the cake and leaving a 1 inch border at the top on the side.

Taking your vanilla frosting frost the inch border and the top of your cake. I went ahead and took a small knife and frosted the inner circle of the cake and all the corners around the top where you are not going to put coconut. I didnt read the directions well enough and vanilla frosted the entire top layer. No biggie you just see a little white frosting through some of your coconut.

Take your cooled toasted coconut and gently cover the entire outside of your cake. Make sure all the sides are completely covered so you dont have any gaps in coconut.

Garnish with some tiki straws or candied pineapple on bamboo skewers or any other dried candied fruit you like.
Unfortunately the decorations would not fit with my cake topper on it so I decorated once I got to my Grannys house. And I forgot to get a picture of it with my tiki straws. But you see the original photo I was copying so you get the idea. I was putting my straws in the cake and my uncle looked at me like I was crazy. I tried to explain it was for presentationl flair! I think my Dad just shook his head and laughed. But you know what? Everyone loved the cake. They may not have realized it was suppose to look like a tiki drink but it ate well and really.....isnt that the main thing for any food function? So I call this a success! Hope if you try it you like it!