What do Pat Benatar, George Foreman and I, your humble columnist, have in common? We share the same birthday! I only know that because someone gave me a 768-page book titled "The Portable Book of Birthdays."

Good thing, too, or I'd never know that Pat, George and I have "socially savvy personalities (and) a keen ability to promote our ideas and to get what we want. We are intelligent, easily irritable, and need constant emotional stimulation," too. Who knew?!

While the book doesn't mention our favorite birthday cake, I feel confident in speaking for the three of us when I say that, without a doubt, it is coconut cake. But not just any coconut cake. It has to be 3-Day Coconut Cake, which is so delicious it will knock your socks off no matter what day you were born.

3-DAY COCONUT CAKE

This is a wonderfully beautiful and delicious cake that is sure to impress. And it's very easy to make. It's moist without being soggy. The hardest thing about making this cake is to let it sit for 3 days in the fridge. But you must! That's 72 hours under virtual lock and key, hear?

Ingredients:

COCONUT MIXTURE (make this the night before!)

1 cup white granulated sugar, OK to substitute Splenda

16 ounces sour cream

12 ounces coconut, like Baker's Sweetened Angel Flake Coconut

CAKE

1 16.25-ounce box white cake mix (like Betty Crocker Super Moist White Cake Mix)

6 tablespoons cake flour, or all-purpose flour if you're in a pinch

3 whole eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk

FROSTING

12 ounces Cool Whip original whipped topping

The night before you make this cake, place the sour cream, coconut and sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Mix until ingredients are well incorporated. Separate 1 cup of the mixture and place it in a separate bowl. Cover bowls with plastic wrap, and refrigerate both portions.

The next day, prepare two 9-inch cake pans by greasing them well. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F for shiny metal pans or 325 F for dark or nonstick pans.

Mix cake mix, flour, eggs, oil and milk in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer set on medium speed (or beat vigorously by hand) for two minutes. Pour into the prepared 9-inch round cake pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Remove from oven, and allow to cool.

Remove cakes from pans. Using a serrated knife, split both layers in half horizontally so you end up with 4 layers.

Place layers on the plate of a cake stand or on a "cake saver" one at a time, spreading all but the reserved 1 cup of coconut mixture you made last night evenly between the layers.

Mix Cool Whip with the reserved 1 cup of coconut mixture. Frost sides and top of cake with this mixture. Cover the cake with the top of the cake saver or another method of your choice; just don't use plastic wrap or anything else that touches the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator. Do not remove, open or eat for THREE DAYS. Do not even peek.

Nutrition: 447 calories; 30 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 36 grams fat (29 grams saturated); 62 milligrams cholesterol; 65 milligrams sodium; 237 milligrams potassium; 5 grams fiber; 21 grams sugar; 3,111 international units vitamin A; 1 milligram vitamin C; 65 milligrams calcium; 1 milligram iron.

Would you like more information? Go to EverydayCheapskate.com for links and resources for recommended products and services in this column. Mary invites questions, comments and tips at EverydayCheapskate.com, "Ask Mary." This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a lifestyle blog, and the author of the book "Debt-Proof Living."

Photo credit: markusspiske at Pixabay