Island Breeze Cake

Isn't this cake just gorgeous?  It is tasty too, I promise.  It has a light, tropical taste.  I always think it is easier for people who are completely stuffed to find room for a fruity dessert than a decadent, rich, chocolaty dessert although those are probably my most favorite. I made this for my book group meeting last month when we were reading Eat Cake (great book by the way) and it was definitely a crowd pleaser!   I was getting ooohs and ahhhs from the moment I walked in the door.  But don't let its looks deceive you, it is surprisingly easy to make.  One tip that I need to mention though is that this cake really needs to be served within an hour or two after you assemble it and leftovers don't store very well, so cut the pieces large and tell everyone to eat up!

Cake:
1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
1/3 C. Vegetable Oil
1/3 C. Water
1 Egg
1 8oz. Can Crushed Pineapple in juice, undrained
1/2 C. Sweetened Coconut Flakes

Syrup:
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
2 tsp. Coconut Extract
2 T. Water
1 tsp. cinnamon

Filling and Fruit Topping
1 Pkg. Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 C. Milk
2 C. Cool Whip, divided
2 tsp. Coconut Extract
1 Kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 Large Mango, peeled and sliced thinly
1/4 C. toasted coconut

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For cake, grease and flour (2) 8" round pans.  Combine cake mix, oil, water, egg, and pineapple.  Stir in coconut and pour into prepared pans, spreading evenly to the edges.  Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool in pans 5-10 minutes.  Loosen cakes, invert onto cooling racks and cool for a couple of hours.
   For syrup, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and boil over med. high heat. Whisk until sugar dissolves, cook 1 minute or until syrup reduces to 1/4 cup.  Remove from heat.  For filling, whisk pudding mix and milk together until thick.  Fold in 1 C. cool whip and coconut extract.
   Transfer one cake to your serving plate and brush 2 T. of the syrup mixture over top with a pastry brush.  Spread filling over cake.  (For a formal look, spoon 1/2 the filling into a pastry bag fitted with large star tip and pipe filling around edges of cake.) Place the second cake over the top and arrange fruit however you like on the top of the cake.  Brush with remaining syrup.  Fill pastry bag fitted with large star tip with remaining cool whip and pipe a decorative edge around the cake. Sprinkle toasted coconut around the edges of the cake and the serving plate.