Strawberry Pecan Cake

Recipe: Strawberry Coconut Pecan Cake

Prep time: 15 min |Cook time: 40 min | Yield: About 12 servings

Ingredients

Cake:
1 box white cake mix
1 (3 ounce) box strawberry gelatin
1 cup toasted coconut
1 cup chopped toasted pecan
1 (16 ounce) container of frozen strawberries, thawed, mashed and divided
4 large eggs
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
Icing:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 (1 pound) box of powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/4 cup toasted coconut
1/2 teaspoon of strawberry extract
About 1/4 cup of the remaining mashed strawberries, more or less
Extra toasted coconut, for garnish, optional
Fresh sliced strawberries, for garnish, optional
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with Baker's Joy or non-stick spray; set aside. Lightly toast 1-1/4 cups of chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove, set aside to cool, and add 1-1/4 cups coconut; toast until very lightly browned and set aside to cool. You'll be using some of both of those in the cake and in the frosting, and if you'd like to garnish the top of the cake with coconut, do a little extra and reserve for garnish.

Add the cake mix, gelatin, 1 cup of the toasted coconut and 1 cup of the toasted pecans to a large mixing bowl; stir to combine. Add 1 cup of the mashed strawberries and the eggs, oil, and milk; beat at medium speed with an electric hand mixer until well blended. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

For the icing, use a mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. Fold in the remaining 1/4 cup of the toasted pecans and coconut and the strawberry extract. Add only enough of the remaining mashed strawberries to make the icing spreadable. Spread over the cooled cake. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

Cook's Notes: I used Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Classic White cake mix, which is my favorite packaged cake brand. You can also make into a layer cake by using two 9-inch round cake pans, or three 8-inch pans. Spray pans generously with Bakers Secret and don't forget that tip about how to make your cake layers more even. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes rest in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to completely cool. I make two or three 8-9 inch round layers most of the time.

This recipe has been around since the 60's, or that's how long I have had it! Hope you enjoy!