Samoa Sheet Cake

If you are a coconut, chocolate and caramel fan, might I plead with you to make this cake. It is knock-your-socks-off-fabulous in a way that will make you never want to put your socks back on again. Seriously! You’ll want to just leave your socks on the ground and live inside this cake for the rest of your life. Which actually would be pretty scary and twisted, so forget I mentioned that kind of crazy, won’t you? But don’t forget that I showed you how to make this cake today. No ma’am. Don’t forget that. Keep this treasure of a recipe tucked back in your mind’s eye, waiting and ready for a day when you have a crowd to feed (16-20 servings on this one) and are eager to wow and woo them into a chocolate coma of bliss.

Here are some specifics on the cake, ladies and gentlemen. It’s moist and loaded with chocolate flavor. When it’s still warm from the oven a decadent frosting/glaze is poured over the top. Toasted coconut comes next with caramel and milk chocolate drizzled all over the top.

Make it, people.

Make it and then quickly get it the heck out of your house before you dive inside of it to live for the rest of your mortal life.

Let me show you how to make it happen!

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour 2 1/2 C coconut onto a large cookie sheet and spread it out evenly. Pop it in the oven and allow the coconut to toast. Should only take 5-6 minutes. Be sure to check it closely and stir it a couple of times while it toasts. Set aside to cool.
3. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees.

4. Into a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer place 2 C flour and 2 C sugar. Toss them together to combine.

5. In a medium-sized mixing bowl place 1/2 C butter, 1 C water, 4 Tb cocoa and 1/2 C butter flavored shortening. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat, stirring continually. Pour it into the flour/sugar mixture. Mix for 30 seconds or so.

6. To the mixing bowl add 1/2 C buttermilk. Turn the mixer on allowing the buttermilk to become combined into the batter. With the mixer still on add 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/8 tsp salt, 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix for 1 minute, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to be sure all the dry ingredients are becoming incorporated.

7. Spray a large cookie sheet (mine is 17 1/2 x 12 1/2) with cooking spray and pour the batter into it.

Like this. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. While the cake bakes, make the frosting. Place 1/2 C butter and 6 Tb of milk into a microwave safe bowl. Heat them to boiling. Add 1/8 C caramel sauce (I used caramel syrup), 3 C powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and a dash of salt.

Whisk it together with a fork until smooth. It will be thin.

9. When the cake is still warm from the oven, poke holes all over it with a fork.

10. Pour the frosting over the top of the cake.

Yum. Warm Cake + Warm Frosting = Heaven, Baby.

11. Immediately sprinkle the toasted coconut over the top of the frosting.

12. Place 8 ounces of unwrapped caramels (a little bit less than an 11 ounce bag) into a microwave safe bowl. Add 2 Tb milk (or evaporated milk) to the caramels and heat the two together in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and heat again, in 30 second intervals until the caramel is melted and smooth.

Like this!

Drizzle the caramel over the top of the coconut. Oh, my heavens. Doesn’t that look DEEEEVINE!

13. Take 3/4 C milk chocolate chips and place them in a glass measuring cup. Heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one. Add 1/2 tsp shortening and stir to combine.

Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the caramel.

At this point in the process, you can dig in and eat it warm. Mmmmmm….If you are looking for a cake that slices well into perfect rectangles or squares, you will need to refrigerate it for about an hour so that it will stay together nicely. Either way it tastes smackdown fabulous.

Serve and enjoy!

Here’s the handy printable…