Samoa Bundt Cake

As soon as my friend Danna posted the link for this on FB, my husband's name popped up in my head.  His birthday was coming up and he LOVES Samoa cookies and German chocolate cake.  I thought this would be the perfect combination for a birthday cake for him.  And trust me, this cake did not disappoint.  It is AMAZING and the frosting is to die for!  Some people commented that the cake took all day to make.  That is not true.  Start to finish, including making the batters (there are 2 of them, as it is a marble cake), the frosting, baking, cooling and cleaning everything, took me 3 hours.  If you ever made a cake from scratch, it usually takes about 2 hours, so this one was not so bad.  Also, the original recipe called for cooking the sweetened condensed milk, which is the main culprit for the length of the time.  I substituted that with dulce de leche, which is what the condensed milk becomes after cooking.  I found it at Walmart in the Hispanic Section for about $2.  That's not too bad in exchange for fewer hours spent in the kitchen.  All in all, yes, this cake is worth the time and effort.  It is delicious!  Enjoy!

 Ingredients:
For batter #1:
-1 stick butter, softened
-1 cup brown sugar
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup 2% milk
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-3/4 tsp baking powder
-3/4 cup flour
For batter #2:
-1 cup sugar
-1/4 cup margarine
-1 egg
-1/2 cup 2% milk
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-3/4 tsp baking powder
-3/4 cup + 2 Tbs flour
-1/2 cup + 2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/2 cup boiling water
For frosting:
-1 (13.4 oz) can dulce de leche
-1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
-2 stick butter, softened
-2 Tbs vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cup toasted sweetened coconut flakes
For topping:
-1 1/2 cups toasted sweetened coconut flakes
-1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Coat bundt pan with baking spray (the one with flour and butter).  Set aside.
Make batter #1:  Cream butter and brown sugar.  Add the eggs, one at a time.  Mix well.  Add the milk and mix well.  Add salt, baking soda, baking powder and flour.  Mix very well.  Set aside.
Make batter #2: Cream sugar and margarine.  Add the egg, milk and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, flour and cocoa powder.  Mix well.  Add the boiling water.  Mix very well.
Pour some batter #1 in the prepared pan, then some batter #2.  Alternate until both batters are in the pan.  Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to remove bubbles.

 Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let it cool entirely on wire rack.
Meanwhile, beat dulce de leche, confectioner's sugar, butter, vanilla and salt for 3 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup toasted coconut.  Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Frost the cooled cake with the frosting.  Top with the remaining toasted coconut.  Place melted chocolate in ziploc bag and cut a corner.  Drizzle all over cake.  Let it sit on the counter for a few minutes, until chocolate hardens. 
Cover and store in the fridge.  Enjoy!

Adapted from a recipe found here.