Samoa Layer Cake

This cake is inspired by one of my favorite Girl Scout cookies. A buttery cake covered in chocolate and filled with a toasted caramel filling.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I’m not talking about Christmas, I’m talking Girl Scout cookie season. My neighborhood Girl Scout was out collecting orders last week, so I ordered five boxes. Don’t judge. I got my hopes up, but then they were shattered in one sentence, “I’ll be back at the beginning of March to deliver your cookies.” What?! I have to wait 7 weeks before I get to shove coconutty goodness into my mouth?

I couldn’t possibly wait that long. Fortunately, Keebler (you can buy them here.) makes a fairly close Samoa cookie that can work in a pinch, but I wanted something more, so I used these cookies as my inspiration to create the king of all Samoa cookies. I’m talking toasted coconut galore, gooey caramel, and chocolatey goodness.

It’s good, guys. So good, that my husband broke his diet to eat some two three nights in a row.

So good, that my best friend couldn’t stop saying “wow” as she kept shoving more in her mouth straight from the container I was storing it in.

So good that I didn’t even share it with my kids.

The cake is what I like to call my “butter cake”. It’s dense and delicious, and oh so buttery. To make it even more delicious I melted some chocolate chips and spread them on top and waited for it to harden up to get a nice little crunch in the cake to bring in a little cookie element.

The filling is quick and easy to put together, and might possibly be my new favorite cake filling. It’s thick enough to keep those cakes stacked so they don’t slide apart as you are frosting it, which is a plus in my book. I stacked the cakes and filling and then slathered it in smooth chocolate buttercream. Yum!

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Samoa Layer Cake

This cake is inspired by one of my favorite Girl Scout cookies. A buttery cake covered in chocolate and filled with a toasted caramel filling.

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Ingredients

  

Butter Cake (from CakeByCourtney)

• 5 large egg whites at room temperature
• 1 whole egg
• 1 cup whole milk at room temperature
• 2 ¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups cake flour sifted
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cut into 24 even pieces

Chocolate Coating

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tsp canola oil

Toasted Caramel Filling

• 1 can of dulce de leche
• 3 cups of sweetened coconut
• 2 TBS milk

Chocolate Buttercream

• 1 cup butter softened
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 4-5 TBS milk

Instructions

 

Cake

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your pans.
• In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk the egg whites, whole egg, 1/4 cup milk and the vanilla. Set aside.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients together on low speed for 30 seconds until airy looking.
• Add the cold butter one piece at a time. Continue to mix on low speed until the mixture is a fine and crumbly texture. Add the remaining milk and mix on low for 5 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl (DON’T FORGET THIS STEP!) and begin to add the egg mixture in 3 separate batches, mixing until light and fluffy, about four minutes. Scrape the bowl again to make sure everything is mixed evenly.
• Divide batter evenly among your 6-in. pans, spreading evenly with a small offset spatula.
• Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs when inserted into the center, about 30 minutes. Let cool on racks for 5 minutes before loosening the sides with sharp knife, and flip it onto greased wire racks.
• Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to two days, or freezer for up to 2 months.

Chocolate Coating

• In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and oil.
• Heat for 1 minute. Take it out and stir.
• Continue to microwave for 30 second intervals until the chocolate is smooth and melty.
• Divide batter on the tops of the leveled cakes, and smooth with an offset spatula.
• Place cakes in fridge for 20 minutes, or until the chocolate is no longer glossy.

Filling

• Turn oven on to low broil.
• Place coconut on a cookie sheet with sides.
• Place under the broil and check every 30-45 seconds and stir. Continue until the coconut is golden and toasted.
• Meanwhile, place the entire can of dulce de leche and milk in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute. Stir. Heat in 30 second intervals until caramel sauce is smooth.
• Stir in 2 cups of the toasted coconut filling into the caramel sauce and let it cook completely before assembling your cake.
• Save the remaining coconut to decorate the side of your cake with.

Chocolate Buttercream

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, place the 2 sticks of butter and mix until creamy.
• Add half of the powdered sugar and 2 TBS of milk. Mix until it comes together.
• Add remaining powdered sugar, cocoa, and milk and mix until smooth. Add milk 1 TBS at a time. Add more milk until your frosting is at spreading consistency. [/recipe]