Coconut Pound Cake

Summer is here and seeing all the fresh coconuts that are sold on the streets puts me in the mood for a coconut-featured pastry. I opened up my trusty America's Test Kitchen cookbook and found their Coconut Pound Cake recipe.

I've doubled the recipe because it calls for 3/4 cup cream of coconut (note that it's not coconut milk) and rather than leaving the rest in the fridge to dubious means, why not finish it all in one bake? The below recipe has been altered to utilize the full can of cream of coconut and it makes a bundt and loaf pan, which means more to share!

4 cups cake flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups sugar

1 15oz. can cup cream of coconut (NOT coconut milk)

8 large eggs, room temperature

3 tsps vanilla extract

1 tsp coconut extract

36 tbsps (3 sticks) unstaled butter, melted and hot

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 10" bundt pan and 8.5" x 4.5" loaf pan. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.

2. Process the sugar, cream of coconut, eggs, and extracts together in a food processor (or blender) until combined, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, pour the melted butter through the feed tube in a steady stream until combined, about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

3. Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and whisk to combine until just a few streaks of flour remain. Repeat twice more with the remaining flour mixture, then continue to whisk the batter gently until most lumps are gone (do not overmix).

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the top. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Bake the cake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 – 60 mins, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

5. Let the cake cool in a pan for 10 mins. Run a small knife around the edge of the cake to loosen, then flip it out onto a wire rack. Turn the cake right side up and let it cool completely, about 2 hours before serving.

I love the recipe! It's super easy and has perfect consistency. The coconut flavor is subtle but it grows stronger (in a nice way) with continuing chews and bites. I'm glad the recipe was doubled because there will be many people that would love to get their hands on this. =]