Coconut Bundt Cake

Over the course of my life, I’ve learned that there are 2 distinct camps; Those who love coconut & those who do not.

There seems to be no middle ground here. It’s a love/hate situation.

I fall into the “hate” camp. To be clear, we’re talking straight up coconut, not coconut flavor – that’s different. This is a textural thing folks. I happen to like coconut flavor (hello piña coladas) but the act of chewing on coconut makes me cringe.

This lifelong distaste for coconut has made me an outsider amongst family & friends, the black sheep, if you’d like to take it that far (I do). I’m always the one sitting dessert-less when the coconut cake is passed around.

Yet this widely known fact amongst my family members does not keep them from requesting coconut cakes for birthdays & holidays. And I can’t say that I blame them. For all my hatred of coconut, I make a fabulous coconut cake.

Ironic, don’t ya think?

Rewind to just a few weeks ago, my precious Grandfather was turning 91. Everyone knows about his love of coconut cake so that’s what I set out to make. Only, after careful consideration of his awesomeness & the fact that I can never just leave things alone, I decided to make him a jazzed up version of his favorite cake.

The end result (I hear) was fantastic. I wouldn’t know because I did not try it.

This recipe is a basic sour cream cake, jazzed up with coconut, lime zest, & crushed mandarin oranges. This cake would be great with the addition of a little rum or bourbon, just as most things in life are. Enjoy!

For The Cake

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsps vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 tbsp lime zest
1/4 cup chopped mandarin oranges or crushed pineapple

For The Vanilla Lime Glaze

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
4-5 tbsps heavy cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lime

To Make The Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & spray pan with non-stick spray.

Cream butter until smooth using either a stand or hand mixer.

Add sugar to butter & mix until lighter in color & fluffy. About 3 minutes. Add vanilla.

Add eggs 1 at a time. Mix well after each addition.

In a second bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt.

Add four mixture to butter/sugar mixture alternating with sour cream. Mix until combined.

Fold in coconut, lime zest & mandarin oranges (or crushed pineapple).

Spoon into bundt pan, level top with the back of a spoon & bake for 50-60 minutes or until done.

Allow cake to cool before inverting from pan.

To Make The Glaze:

Mix together all ingredients until smooth. Spoon over cooled cake. If glaze is too thick, just add cream a tsp at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Don’t forget the sprinkles!