This cake is an everyday favorite at Crystal’s mom’s house. Any time Crystal’s family gets together for a Sunday dinner, she has this tasty treat to look forward to. It got the nickname “Rice Cake” from Crystal’s niece, Alexis, when she was little because she thought the coconut flakes were little pieces of rice.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 to 10 servings

　　Vegetable shortening, such as Crisco

　　All-purpose flour

　　1 (18.2-ounce) box yellow cake mix

　　1 cup sugar

　　1 cup whole milk

　　1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

　　1 (7-ounce) bag sweetened coconut flakes

　　

Step 1

Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch metal casserole dish.

　　

Step 2

Follow the package instructions to mix the cake batter and bake the cake in the prepared casserole dish. While cake is still warm, poke holes in the top of it with a fork.

　　

Step 3

In a saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the sugar and milk. Heat the mixture, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved; do not let boil. Pour the mixture over the cake, and let the cake cool completely.

　　

Step 4

Once the cake is cool, spread the whipped topping over the top of the cake. Cover the top of the cake with coconut flakes. Place the cake in the refrigerator and let it chill overnight.

　　

Step 5

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to one week—the longer this cake is in the refrigerator, the better it gets!

　　

note

Step 6

Great for freezing! See our Freezer Tips on pages 23–27.

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.