Jefferson County Recipe of the Day: Coconut-Filled Fudge Cake

The coconut filling is a pleasant surprise!

Coconut-Filled Fudge Cake

Ingredients

Cream cheese filling:
1 – 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. beaten egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup flaked coconut
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cake:
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp. beaten egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup hot water
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. chopped pecans
Confectioners’ sugar

Directions

~Preheat oven at 350°.

~In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in coconut and chocolate chips. Set aside.

~In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until well blended.

~In a small bowl, combine water and buttermilk. Set aside. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in pecans.

~Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured 8″ fluted tube pan. Spoon cream cheese mixture over batter to within 1/2″ of edges. Top with remaining batter.

~Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

~Makes six servings.