January Bundt: Pineapple Coconut Cake

Before I post the recipe for my January bundt cake. (And, it is a good one!) I thought I would take a moment to expound upon the virtues of bundt cakes generally. In looking into the history of the bundt cake I have discovered a few interesting facts.

1- The bundt is originally a German cake, often served as a tea cake.

2- Bundts were not even really heard of in the US until 1966 when a bundt cake won a Pillsbury baking contest and caused the bundt pan to rise in popularity and even out-sell the popular and coveted Jello mold. (I, personally, found this fact less amazing than the fact that Jello molds had sold so well across the US in the sixties. I knew they still had a good niche in Utah, where I grew up, but apparently they had an even broader appeal.)

3- Bundt cakes are often considered a little old-fashioned -- I do not know why, nor could I find any explanation to account for this perception.

In any case, I personally think bundt cakes are great. They are beautiful and tasty. They are versatile. They have a cameo appearance in one of my favorite movies, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Jeffrey even won a contest among our friends in Virginia with one of my favorite bundt recipes. But, none of this explains why I have decided to undertake my Bundt a Month project in 2012.

I guess the primary reasons for my quest to identify and bake 12 great bundt recipes are three simple things:

1- I am not a big fan of frosting. It is too sweet and I think often masks the flavor of cake. Bundt cakes are not usually adorned with mountains of butter cream frosting. They are a simpler, and in many ways less over-bearing variety of cake -- and I do like cake. But, I do not like cake from a mix or overly fluffy cakes that are full of lots of air and not much real flavor. To me, a great cake has some complexity of flavor and is more dense. It is sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. A great slice of cake can be perfection.

2- As a result of item #1, I have been reluctant to jump on board all of the current trendiness associated with cupcakes. I like cupcakes; they can be awfully cute little confections, but too often they are dominated by mediocre icing. I have had many a "gourmet" cupcake -- you know, the $5 variety that they sell at specialty shops -- just to be disappointed by the lack of sophistication in the flavors and the frosting (that in my humble opinion) has a little too much in common with shortening. Yet, I love the idea of making a small, even personal sized, attractive dessert. Something as good to look at as it is to eat -- which I believe is a large part of what is fueling the cupcake craze -- so I decided to create small bundt cakes instead. Which leads me to...

3- The fact is, I like to bake, and I have had an idea itching at the back of my mind for a couple of years now to find a type of thing I could make and give away to friends for birthdays and for other tokens that would be attractive, delectable, and transportable. Having ruled out the cupcake, for the reasons listed above, and determining that my other idea of miniature layered cakes was more work than I would ever actually undertake in real life, I have set my mind on the bundt. So, if you live near me, you may very well be the recipient of a personal-sized, freshly baked bundt cake during 2012. If not, well, maybe nest year I will explore the most effective means for shipping bundts across the country.

In the meantime, I intend to enjoying my baking explorations. I have some tried and true bundt recipes already which may find their way into this line-up later in the year, but I am trying to create new, completely original recipes for now. So, check back each month if you too want to explore the virtues of the bundt cake with me.

All that being taken care of I am ready to reveal the January Bundt Recipe: Pineapple Coconut Cake.

What I love about this cake is it is just the right density; it is moist, and the flavors are so very complimentary while not being over-bearing. It is subtle, yet delicious. You will be left wishing you had more.

This recipe should make enough for four small bundt cakes or one large, traditionally sized cake.

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter

1/2 c coconut oil

2 c sugar

5 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp coconut extract

1 can of pineapple (drained and pureed -- juice reserved)

3 3/4 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 c coconut milk (remove the thick white cream and just use the thinner milk -- I recently tried a recipe from Pinterest to make dairy-free whipping cream from this thick part of coconut milk, just chill in the fridge overnight, add 1 tsp sugar and a 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and whip until thick and creamy. Would be delicious with this cake, but I did not serve it with it.)

Instructions

Dump butter and coconut oil into bowl of stand mixer and cream for 2-3 minutes. Add sugar and cream another 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well mixed. Add vanilla and coconut extract. Add pureed pineapple. Combine flour and baking soda in separate bowl and add to the above mixture, alternating with the coconut milk and mixing on low.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees. Small bundt pans took exactly 40 minutes; I suspect a large will take about 1 hour, but I would keep a good eye on it. When cake is done, remove from oven and allow to sit for five minutes before running a knife around the edges of the pan and turning over to remove cake onto wire rack or parchment paper.

When cake has cooled, combine the reserved pineapple juice with 1/4 c of sugar and 1-2 Tbsp of lime juice in a small sauce pan. Simmer until it thickens into a syrup (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, toast 1 c of sweetened coconut in the oven at 350 until just browned. Remove coconut from pan and pulse in a food processor to chop into fine pieces. Using a fork, gently poke holes in the top of the bundt cake and then spoon all of the syrup over the top, allowing it to be absorbed into the cake. Then, while still wet and sticky from the syrup, sprinkle the cake with toasted coconut. Allow to fully cool before serving. In fact, this cake will taste great if refrigerated for 12 hours prior to serving.

Enjoy!