I learned to love coconut cake from my southern Granny and Papa. Sweet, fluffy, and white, their cakes were always so beautiful sitting on the Formica counter. As much as I love the traditional recipe, I always wanted more of that rich yet subtle coconut flavor. In honor of my Granny’s birthday tomorrow, I’ve developed a new recipe featuring coconut exactly where it belongs: in the cake, in the frosting, and, of course, on top!

This is definitely a “special occasion” cake, if you know what I mean. It’s rich and delicious…absolutely worth the work and the calories!

Happy Birthday, Granny!