coconutty pudding cake & coconutty cream cheese frosting

so, i'm still pretending i'm in hawaii. unfortunately, our hawaiian feast has been devoured, & the chocolate haupia pie is long gone. not a problem though. i whipped up a light & fluffy coconutty cake to fill the void. i absolutely love & adore THIS coconut cake. (just thinking about it makes my mouth drool.) but, seeing as i'm trying to lose all this "baby fat" i'm carrying around, i figured i should avoid the 1 1/2 lb. of butter, 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream & 8 oz. of cream cheese that recipe calls for. (talk about a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips!) instead i tried a new (& definitely less intensive) recipe that resulted in a very moist (i hate that word... it gives me the "willies" just saying it in my head), a very easy, & a very tasty cake.

coconutty pudding cake & coconutty cream cheese frosting
cake:
1 package white cake mix (told you it was EASY!)
1 package coconut or vanilla flavor instant pudding mix (4 serving size)
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1 cup flaked coconut (optional, depending on how conconutty you like your cake)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

frosting:
2 tbsp. butter
2 cups coconut
8 oz. cream cheese
2 tsp. milk
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

for cake: blend all of the ingredients, except the coconut, in a large mixing bowl. slowly add in the coconut (if you choose to) & slowly mix. pour into 2 greased & floured 9-inch layer pans or one 9 x 13 pan. bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick come out clean.

for frosting: cream 2 tbsp. butter with cream cheese. slowly add milk, sugar, vanilla & 1 3/4 cups of coconut. spread on top of cake & sprinkle with remaining coconut. if you want to get fancy, you could always toast the coconut.

make sure to have a large glass of milk on hand & enjoy!