Coconut Almond Cake

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: one hour

Ingredients:

12 (.6-ounce snack size) almond coconut sweet bars (such as Almond Joy®), chilled
two cups sifted all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, softened
one cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
one teaspoon pure vanilla extract
two huge eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
one cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 cup grated coconut

Preparation:

Move rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 325 F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick foil.

In a tiny bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Chop sweet bars in to rough 1/2-inch chunks. Pour in to a bowl and place in the freezer until needed.

In a huge bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Reduce to medium speed. Add vanilla, then eggs in a steady stream, beating until combined. Alternating between the flour mixture and the buttermilk, mix in third at a time until incorporated, scraping down sides as needed. Batter will be thick. Fold in 2/3 of the sweet bar chunks.

Pour in to prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 sweet bar chunks and grated coconut on top. Bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out tidy.

Icy to room temperature. Lift cake out of the pan using the foil. Cut and serve.

Yield: 24 to 36 servings, depending on cut size