Apricot Cream Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (18 ounce) package Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe yellow cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil (per cake directions)
3 large eggs (per cake directions)
water (amount per cake directions)
1 (18 ounce) jar apricot preserves (for filling)
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling mix
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup toasted flaked coconut
apricot halves (I couldn't find fresh, so bought Lite canned. Drained and patted dry several of the firmer halves an)
mint leaf

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Prepare, bake and cool cake as directed on package.
Split each cake layer in half horizontally. (I used dental floss while my husband gently held the cake in place with a clean kitchen towel. It was very easy to do!) Reserve 1 tablespoon preserves. Place one split cake layer on serving plate. Spread one-third remaining preserves on top. Repeat with remaining layers and preserves, leaving top plain.
Prepare pudding mix as directed on package using 3/4 cup milk. In a large bowl, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold whipping cream into pudding. Spread on sides and top of cake. Garnish with coconut, apricot halves and mint leaves. Warm reserved preserves to glaze apricot halves. Refrigerate until ready to serve.