Samoa Sheet Cake

It’s February and that means only one thing in the world of cookie lovers…. GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!!

And our family’s collective favorite Girl Scout Cookie is the Samoas – it’s a crisp shortbread cookie with caramel, fudge and coconut. They’re SUPER addictive and we can easily plow through a box in under 20 minutes.

Because we have no power to show self control when this cookie is around, we don’t buy them (unless hubby gets cornered by a little girl scout on the way out of Wal-mart – then he buys 10 boxes).

But, February means another thing in our household – it’s Shep’s birthday month! And guess what cake flavor he requested??? That’s right! Samoas Sheet Cake!

To make this cake, you’ll start off by making a simple yellow sheet cake, then you’ll top it with toasted coconut flakes, crumbled shortbread cookies and chopped chocolate chunks (milk and dark).

The cake will bake for 25-28 minutes at 350°. Cool completely before topping with chocolate ganache, more toasted coconut and a hefty drizzle of salted caramel sauce.

It’s the combination of all the things – salted caramel, chocolate ganache and perfectly toasted coconut. All poured over that perfect, moist yellow cake and bits of shortbread. I’m pretty sure it’s the perfect mouthful of food.

For this cake, I made homemade salted caramel and chocolate ganache but you can easily use store-bought fudge and caramel toppings found in the ice cream shops.

Just in case you need a bigger samoas cookie fix than your local girl scout can handle – just maybe this yummy Samoas Sheet Cake will do the trick!

Samoa Sheet Cake

cake ingredients

• 3 sticks butter, salted
• 1 1/2 c water
• 2 t vanilla
• 3 c sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 c sour cream
• 3 c flour
• 1 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 1/2 c chocolate chunks
• 1 1/2 c toasted coconut
• 3/4 c shortbread cookie crumbles (I used Lorna Doone)

toppings

• 1 1/2 c chocolate ganache*
• 1 c toasted coconut
• 1 c salted caramel sauce (or caramel sauce)

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan, combine water and butter. Bring to a low simmer until butter is melted.

Add vanilla, sugar and sour cream to butter mixture, stirring to combine.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs.

Add flour mixture and eggs to butter sugar mixture in thirds. (1/3 flour – stir – 1/3 egg – stir – 1/3 flour etc.) Stirring vigorously to combine, breaking down any lumps.

Pour in a prepared (sprayed with baking spray) 11″ x 17″ jelly roll // rimmed sheet pan.

Top with chocolate chunks, shortbread cookie crumbles and toasted coconut.

Bake for 25-28 minutes, until center is set.

Allow to cool COMPLETELY before topping with sauces (at least 1 hour). Drizzle chocolate ganache*, sprinkle with toasted coconut and finish by drizzling with salted caramel.

Serves 16

*to make homemade ganache : in a medium microwaveable bowl, combine 2 c chocolate chunks (I used a half and half mixture of dark chocolate and milk chocolate) + 1 1/8c cream.

Microwave for 45 seconds, stir and microwave again for 15 seconds if chocolate is still hard. Whisk vigorously to thicken. Cool for 10 minutes before spreading over cake.