Samoa Bundt Cake

Samoa Girl Scout cookies are a special treat that comes once a year. That blend of crisp cookie, gooey caramel, toasted coconut and drizzle of chocolate is to die for, and now we won't have to wait any longer to get our 'fix'. Introducing... the Samoa Bundt Cake. This recipe was another Pinterest find and its appearance had perfect timing, a few days shy of my husband's birthday. I know how much he loves Samoa cookies (and sweets in general), so this was perfect to try out. I generally shy away from baking cakes unless we are having company or taking it somewhere; otherwise we have to eat the whole darned thing! It was a birthday cake, though, which means a celebration, and I knew we'd have plenty of family members to help demolish it.

From beginning to end (including clean up time), this cake took a little over 2 hours which isn't too shabby for a made-from-scratch cake. Keep in mind that the frosting needs to chill for one hour, the cake needs to bake for 50-60 minutes, and then it needs to cool completely before you frost it, so it's best to make the frosting first.

To toast the coconut, I used a large skillet on the stove set to medium-high. You must constantly keep an eye on the coconut and stir continuously until it reaches a golden brown. If you take your eye off, pieces will start to burn. How do I know tihs? Let's just say I took a second trip to the grocery store :( Another option is to toast the coconut in a 350 degree oven, keeping a watchful eye on it, and stirring it every few minutes. This seemed a lot of (hot) work to me, hence I went with the stove approach.

Making the frosting is really simple with a hispanic product called Dulce de Leche. Most grocery stores should have this next to the sweetened condensed milk. The brand name I used is La Lechera and its manufactured by Nestle. They make both Dulce de Leche and sweetened condensed milk, so pay close attention to what you grab. If your supermarket doesn't carry it, find your closest Hispanic grocery store as they should have it in stock.

Lots of bowls are used in this recipe due to two different cake batters being made in addition to the frosting, which means I even had to pull out my hand mixer. No worries, if you don't have a stand mixer and a hand mixer, just clean your supplies in between each step.

Combining the two batters to make it marble is kind of fun. First make sure you spray down your bundt pan heavily and dust it with some flour. I forgot the flour step and some of it stuck to the pan, but it was nothing that a little frosting couldn't patch up ;)

Once last tip - after you melt your chocolate, let it cool down a little bit before applying. I didn't do this and some of it slid right off the cake. The cooler it is, the better it will stick.

The overall verdict on this cake was that it was absolutely delicious, tasting very similar to the aforementioned cookie. It is super sweet, and a little goes a long way. I recommend serving it with milk or coffee. The next time you crave a Samoa cookie during the summer, fall, or whenever, this cake will definitely satisfy.

Samoa Bundt Cake

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 can of Dulce de Leche
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 T vanilla extract
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup toasted coconut

Beat Dulce de Leche, butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla and salt for 3 minutes. Add in 1 cup toasted coconut. Chill for 1 hour.



Batter #1 Ingredients

• 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

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter and sugar on medium high until fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Add in milk and mix until well combined. In a separate bowl sift together the remaining dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients slowly and mix until well combined.



Batter #2 Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp All Purpose flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup milk

Beat oil and sugar on medium high until combined. Add in egg, mixing well. Add in milk and vanilla and mix until well combined. In a separate bowl sift together the remaining dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients slowly and mix until well combined. Stir in boiling water.

Grease and flour the bundt pan well. Layer the cake, pouring some of the brown sugar batter, then cocoa batter, then brown sugar, until both batter bowls are empty. Tap the bundt pan on the counter a couple of times to remove bubbles. Bake approximately for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (mine only took about 50 minutes). Let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then turn it out onto a cooling rack.



Topping Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups toasted coconut
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Once the cake is completely cooled, frost it and then sprinkle with coconut. On the sides and center you may need to gently pat it to stick. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 15 second intervals until it is completely melted. Place chocolate in a ziploc bag with a corner cut out about 1/4″ up from the corner. Let it cool a little and then drizzle stripes on the cake.


Adapted from BetsyLife