Pina Colada Pound Cake

Posted on April 24, 2012 by amydeline

My husband to the baby: Goobs (our nickname for the baby), tonight we begin Operation Go the ‘Fudge’ to Sleep.

The baby responded with a happy leg shake and wide eyes which clearly seemed to communicate, Oooh…sounds important!

Then he shook his hands excitedly above his head, I love secret missions! I’ve been working on Operation Stay the H.E.Double Hockey Sticks Awake for almost a year now. It’s been remarkably successful.

We know, Goobs. We know. But your mission ends tonight.

Our littlest man’s sleep habits have been a challenge, to say the least. We’d established a routine where he’d spend the first half of the night in his crib and the second half snuggled in bed next to me. It wasn’t our ideal plan, but it enabled everyone to get some sleep, so we went with it. (And to be perfectly honest, I frickin’ love those snuggles.) But lately, this routine isn’t working and no one is sleeping. We’re being forced to confront his sleep routine head on. Parenting, much like being the president, is hard work.

I could really use a vacation, preferably someplace sunny and tropical. Someplace where I can drift off into an uninterrupted sleep to the sound of gently crashing waves on a beach. Someplace with an endless supply of fruity beverages, garnished with bright red cherries and fresh orange slices. And pink paper umbrellas.

Perhaps once the baby learns to sleep through the night, we’ll plan a weekend getaway. In the mean time, I’ve got this piña colada cake. I started with a buttery lemon pound cake and upped the ante with a touch of rum and a hefty dose of tropical fruits. Then, I drizzled the sweet cake with a tart lemon glaze and shredded coconut. It’s no drink on a tropical beach, but it’s pretty darn good!

Piña Colada Cake

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 lemon, finely zested and juiced
1 tablespoon rum (optional)
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
1/3 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
1/3 cup mandarin orange slices, well drained and chopped

For the garnish

1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and flour a large loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Add the lemon juice, zest, and rum. Gradually add the flour mixture, about a third at a time. Beat just until blended. Stir in the coconut, pineapple, and mandarin oranges. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for about 75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

To make the glaze: Combine the confectioner’s sugar with lemon juice, a little at a time, until it reaches a thick, but fluid consistency. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the cake. Sprinkle with shredded coconut.

References: Martha Stewart’s Glazed Lemon Pound Cake and Gale Gand’s Lemon Pound Cake

6 Comments

Posted in Baking, Cakes, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged baking, cake, coconut, comfort food, Cooking, dessert, Eating, family, Food, kids, parenting, Recipes, tropical. Bookmark the permalink.

6 responses »

Kathie Stockdale | April 24, 2012 at 12:41 pm

I want a piece of that cake right now! Yum!
dirtyrottenparenting | April 24, 2012 at 12:41 pm

I don’t bake, but it sounds heavenly. Almost like a beach vacation, but not quite!
stirandstitch | April 24, 2012 at 12:57 pm

that looks really tasty!
elizabethhoward1 | April 24, 2012 at 6:27 pm

Sounds so yummy! Our little one sleeps through the night no problem but I have a feeling if we have another we won’t be so lucky. Good luck, I know it will work out 😀
juliacastorp | April 25, 2012 at 3:55 pm

wow i can imagine it tastes good…
Denise Browning | May 8, 2012 at 2:33 pm

Oh, it looks sinful! In Brazil, we love the combination of pineapple and coconut. Yummy!!!!!!!