Mamaw's Coconut Cake: A Christmas Tradition

It doesn't matter how hard you work, it's impossible to recreate the magic of the Christmases of your youth. I remember my family having big Christmas Eve parties and spending a quiet morning together having a big meal on Christmas Day. There were always foods we looked forward to year after year. Some of the foods had been served at our family Christmases for decades and we continue to serve them today. As Southerners, food was a big part of our Christmas traditions. One favorite that I continue to serve is my Mamaw's coconut cake. She passed away almost 20 years ago, and even though I've moved away from my childhood home, I still continue this tradition every Christmas.

Of course, coconut cake wasn't just a Christmas tradition in our home. Coconut cake has a long history of being served in Southern households at Christmastime. The reason being that Southern colonies had access to coconut from the Caribbean, while others did not. Still, this wasn't an ingredient you could get year round and the price of coconut, sugar and other cake ingredients meant that it was reserved for special occasions, just like Mamaw's cake.

Of course, my Mamaw put much more effort into her cakes than I do. She'd make her cake and frosting from scratch and probably would have made her own cream of coconut if she'd known how. However, my family adapted the recipe to make it easier to prepare along with all our other favorites. I hope you enjoy the recipe and that it becomes a family favorite in your home as well.

Mamaw's Coconut Cake

1 white boxed cake mix, prepared according to the package directions for a 9x13 cake
1 can of cream of coconut
14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
2 containers of fluffy white frosting
16 ounce package of shredded, sweetened coconut

1. Poke holes throughout the warm prepared cake using a fork.
2. Mix together the cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk and pour over the cake. The holes will allow the mixture to better absorb into the cake.
3. Once the cake is cool, frost and top with shredded coconut.
4. Refrigerate overnight before serving for the best flavor.

It's really that simple, but you won't believe how good it is. The sauce soaks into the cake creating a moist, coconut delight that pairs beautifully with the fluffy frosting and shredded coconut. Just be prepared for this cake to get gobbled up quickly. You may even want to make two if you have a large family.