Samoa Bundt Cake

I love Samoa Girl Scout Cookies.  When I saw this recipe on Pinterest, of course I had to go look.  It looked kind of hard and involved.

Then I thought about when I could make it.  Thanksgiving, of course.  Because after all, I was only running a half-marathon.  There would be no stress of people coming over, 3 dogs, a long run, or anything else.

So I decided to make Wednesday night.  It actually wasn't hard, just long.

I was worried about making the Dulce de Leche.  I have no interest in boiling a can of Condensed Milk in a crock pot or a pot of boiling water.  I'm sure it works if you keep watching it.  It's the "keep watching" part that I was worried about it.  I found Dulce de Leche at Kroger and the local Mexican Grocer.  I bought that.  That saves a lot of time (between 4 and 10 hours).

Then I got all the ingredients together for the Cakes, and made them.  The Brown Sugar batter was A LOT thicker than the Chocolate Batter.  I was a little worried but it came out fine.

Some of the ingredients

The cake ready to go in the oven

The frosting was simple to make.  My first batch of toasted coconut took 6 minutes like the directions said.  The 2nd batch, after 7 minutes, it still wasn't brown.  I took it out anyway.  I'm not sure what went on there.

Assembling it (after everything cooled) was pretty easy.  I decided to spread the chocolate from the center instead of striping the cake.  That way there was more chocolate.

D, my brother and I ate it on Thanksgiving.  After 10 seconds, I wondered how I didn't have any left and they still had it on their plate.  It was sweet, but not overpowering.  In the morning, I know my dad ate 2 pieces.  So we all enjoyed it.

Final Product: Photo by ALB

Samoa Bundt Cake

From Betsy's Life.

****READ THE ENTIRE RECIPE BEFORE YOU BEGIN****

Ingredients
For the Brown Sugar Batter
1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup of dark brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup whole milk

For the Chocolate Batter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup + 2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 T cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup boiling water

For the Frosting
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (Substitute canned dulce de leche)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 T vanilla extract
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup toasted coconut

For the topping
1 1/2 cups toasted coconut
1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted

Instructions
Create the Dulce de leche frosting (if using canned dulce de leche skip this step)
Place the whole, unopened can of condensed milk in your crock pot and submerge in at least 3 inches of water.
Cook on medium for 10 hours or on high for 7.
*Alternatively, boil the whole, unopened can on the stove FULLY SUBMERGED AT ALL TIMES for 4 hours.
Let it cool.

To make brown sugar batter
In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy
Add eggs, one a a time, beating well after each addition
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
Alternate adding the flour mixture and whole milk to the butter mixture, one at a time, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Set batter aside

To make the chocolate batter
Cream sugar and oil together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg, vanilla, and milk
In a medium bowl mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture until well combined.
Carefully stir in boiling water

Make the cake
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
Grease and flour a bundt pan well.
This is a marble cake. Pour some of the brown sugar batter into the pan, then top it with some of the chocolate batter.
Alternate until both batter bowls are empty.
Tap bundt pan on the counter a couple times to remove bubbles.
Bake approximately 50 minutes or until skewer inserted in center comes out clean. (Original directions said 1 hour but both Betsy's blog and I had finished cake at 50 minutes.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool entirely.

Make the frosting
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spread coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until desired color is reached (about 6 minutes)
Beat cooled cooked condensed milk (or dulce de leche), butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla and salt for 3 minutes.
Add in 1 cup toasted coconut.
Chill for 1 hour

Assemble the cake
Frost the cake with dulce de leche frosting
Toast remaining coconut and press into the sides and top of the frosted cake
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring frequently.
Place melted chocolate in a pastry bag with a small tip or ziploc bag with a corner cut out about 1/4 inch up from the corner, and drizzle stripes on the cake.