"This reacipe is actually the first cake that I made from scratch in my life, and I made it again a year later. It's really good, but I have a few tips:
1) In the frosting, DO NOT forget the confectioner sugar. Trust me. I forgot it this time, and it tastes too much like cream cheese.
2) If you don't like pecans (like me), a good one to sub for them is almonds. Just chop them up. It's also good with out the nuts. The same can be said for the coconut (some people don't like either).
3) You don't want to over mix it. it gets a little tuff if you do.
4) If all the flour you have is all purpose (which is the case for me), cift it before you cift the flour and salt together. It makes a difference.
It is a great recipe, as I have come to expect from Paula Deen.

"I had never made or had anything even close to Indian food, and I wanted to try something new for my 20th birthday. It turned out great! Big hit, even with my mom who can't handle the "spiciness" of ketchup at times (how it's spicy, don't ask me).
The only thing I couldn't find was the spice mix, so I just used curry powder and a few pinches of sugar.