Macaroon Torte Cake

Why I Love This Recipe
Someone asked if I could make a coconut cake. Without thinking, I said yes. But I had never made something like that -- ever. It's more exotic than your usual chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. I searched for the right recipe, both online and in my cookbooks. Nothing seemed tasty enough. So, I decided to improvise. My macaroons went over very well with co-workers, so I tried to incorporate that into the cake. This is the result.
Ingredients You'll Need
1 box butter recipe cake mix and associated ingredients (stick of butter, eggs and water)
14 ounces shredded coconut
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1.5 cups milk
2 cups chocolate frosting
2 cups sliced almonds
Directions
1. Preheat oven and mix cake mix according to box directions. Blend in the almond extract. Fold in 1.5 cups of coconut to the cake mix. You can add more or less, to taste.
2. Divide batter into two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. Bake according to directions.
3. Meanwhile, mix pudding according to pie directions (mix plus 1.5 cups milk). Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Allow cakes to cool completely.
To assemble:
1. Spread a little frosting on a plate to keep the bottom cake layer in place. Top with a cake layer.
2. Spread chilled pudding mix evenly onto top of cake layer only. Do not spill over onto the sides. This will make frosting harder later.
3. Add second cake layer on top of pudding.
4. Frost sides and top of cake with the chocolate frosting.
5. Garnish with almonds around the sides, and top with shredded coconut. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tip: Try toasting the coconut and almonds for even more flavor!