Coconut Pound Cake

People sometimes are like, how do you decide what you want to try making? Well, here's how it usually goes: I was watching Virgin River, and the main character is like I just want a bath and a coconut cupcake for my birthday, and I was like damn, that sounds good. We always do our low country boil at the end of August, and for some reason, I always want a bundt cake for that occasion. I don't know why my brain has associated these two things, but you know what, every time I hear the song "Like a Prayer" by Madonna, I associate it with the movie Home Alone. I don't fucking know why. Who knows why our brains do what they do. What I DO know is that low country boil equates to a bundt cake, and this year, I needed coconut. 

This recipe makes one bundt cake (serves 18ish)

For the Bundt

1 1/4 c shredded coconut, sweetened

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

1 c granulated sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

6 large eggs

1 3/4 c all-purpose flour

1/4 c full-fat coconut milk (more needed for glaze as well)

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract *you can use coconut extract here; I just don't really like it.

1. In a non-stick pan, put coconut on medium heat and lightly toast, stirring frequently. Do NOT walk away! She's fickle, and she'll burn in a heartbeat. 

2. Once toasted, allow to cool for a bit. 

3. Take one cup and finely chop in a food processor or with a sharp knife. Reverse the rest for the topping. 

4. Prepare bundt pan with goop and preheat oven to 325F. 

5. Cream together butter and sugars in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. 

6. Slowly add in eggs, making sure to incorporate between each egg. 

7. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl (flour, salt, baking powder). Add them to butter and sugar slowly until incorporated. 

8. Add vanilla and coconut milk to the batter and combine. 

9. Fold in the one cup of coconut. 

6. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

For the Glaze 

You either already hate me because you know what I'm going to say here, or you have grown confident with your glaze making skills and therefore no longer need me. We measure with our hearts, so I will try to give you an estimate, but really, it's all about the feel. 

About 2 c powdered sugar, sifted

Pinch of salt

Splash of vanilla 

1/4-1/2 c coconut milk 

1. Sift sugar into a large bowl. Add salt. 

2. Add vanilla and start to add a little coconut milk and whisk to combine. 

3. You are looking for something thick, but that will still run. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar; if it's too thick, add more coconut milk. Here's my consistency:

Assembly

1. Once the bundt has cooled, turn out onto serving platter. If it sticks to the pan a bit, as mine did, that's okay! Peel it out and slap it back together - you're covering with glaze and coconut anyway. 

2. Drizzle with glaze- as you can see in my picture, I went a little overboard with the glaze, and I have no regrets. 

3. Top with the remaining 1/4 c of toasted coconut. 

4. Serve with a rum-based drink. You'll thank me.