Pina Colada Pinapple Pound Cake
Ingredients
1 pound butter at room temperature, 2 cups
2¼ cups white sugar
2 tsp good quality vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract, optional
4 extra large eggs at room temperature, or 5 large
1½ cups sifted all purpose flour
1½ cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup toasted coconut
1 cup undiluted evaporated milk, use it straight from the can
1 cup fresh pineapple, finely diced
4 ounces rum, optional
For the Rum & Butter Glaze
1/3 cup soft butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups icing sugar, powdered sugar
3 tbsp of dark rum, approximately
Instructions
This cake is baked in an oven that starts cold, so there's no need to preheat it.
Grease a Bundt pan very well and lightly dust it with flour. You can also use 2 standard loaf pans that have been lightly greased and lined with parchment paper.
In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter, sugar and vanilla & coconut extract very well, for at least 10 -15 minutes. The aim is to incorporate as much air as possible into the creamed base of the batter. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl several times during the creaming process.
Add the eggs, one at a time and beat for at least a minute or two before adding the next egg.
Sift together the flour, cake flour, toasted coconut and baking powder.
Fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the undiluted evaporated milk. Always begin and end the folding process with the dry ingredients. As a general rule, I add the dry ingredients in three portions and the milk in two portions.
With the last addition of milk, fold in the pineapple as well.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan/s, spreading the top with the back of a spoon to level it.
Place in a cold oven and turn the temperature to 325 degrees Baking times will vary on the size of the cake pans. My Bundt pan took 1 hour and 30 minutes. Loaf pans should be checked after an hour. As always, let the wooden toothpick or skewer test be your guide. Insert a wooden toothpick or skewer into the center of the cake and when it comes out clean the cake is done. Watch it closely and only add extra time in 5 minute intervals, checking with a clean toothpick each time, so that you will not over bake the cake.
Let the cake/s rest in the pans for 10 - 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
When completely cool return the cake to the pan, that you have lined with plastic wrap so that you can soak the cake in rum. This step is optional if you don't like rum or prefer not to.
Using a wooden skewer, poke small holes all over the surface of the cake and slowly spoon about 4 ounces(or lesof rum over the surface, directly over all the holes.
Cover and let the cake rest for an entire day before adding the glaze and serving.
To prepare the glaze.
Cream together the butter, ing sugar and vanilla.
Begin adding the rum, a little at a time until the frosting turns the consistency of a thick glaze.
Spoon over the pound cake.
You can use less rum and keep it as a frosting if you prefer but you will probably need to double the recipe to cover an entire Bundt cake.
Notes
To toast coconut just sprinkle the dried coconut in a cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes or until it starts to colour. Give it a toss a couple of times as it browns.
I'm not a fan of tinned fruit but you could use it in a pinch, just be sure it is very, very well drained. Use a sieve to drain it and press the crushed pineapple the bottom to squeeze out the excess juice.
