Free Recipes For Me

Here is a wonderful fruity pound cake that doesn’t really need anything to top it. It combines lemon, coconut, banana and pineapple chunks into a tropical treat. 

Tropical Island Pound Cake

3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. rum extract
2 sticks softened butter
Grated rind of 1 lemon
3 eggs
1 – 16 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice, reserve 1/4 cup juice
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking soda
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates

Crunchy Topping
1 cup crushed, dried plantain chips
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tbsp. sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the coconut flakes in a pie pan for 5-10 minutes, stirring often, until they reach a golden color. With an electric mixer set to medium, in a large glass bowl, cream the sugar and butter until well blended.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each one. In a separate bowl, blend the flour, baking soda, sour cream, and flavorings, and lemon rind by hand. Add the 1/4 cup reserved juice and mix well. Combine both bowls together with 3/4 cup coconut flakes, drained pineapple, chopped dates, and mashed bananas. Pour the thick batter into a greased and floured 8-inch Bundt pan.

In a small bowl add ingredients for the topping together and stir well. Sprinkle this over the prepared cake and bake for approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes. You can also test it with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean when pushed into the center of the cake.  Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Remove the cake from the pan, slice, and enjoy!