This is one of the best cakes I have ever tasted! Try it and wow your family this holiday season. The recipe was given to me by a friend who got it from Flo Baker, author, Sweet Miniatures (Chronicle Books, 2000).
For those who don't care for coconut -- although it has coconut milk and shredded coconut in it you really can't detect a specific "coconut" flavor -- it all just blends together into a wonderfully complex and rich flavor.
Try it and leave a comment -- let me know how you like it!
SIMPLY DELICIOUS POUND CAKE
The Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm
A mint-and-lemon glaze adds a refreshing note.
For the cake:
Serves 16 - Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp. salt
16 Tbsp.(2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 oz. cream cheese
2 1/2 c. sugar
5 eggs
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. pure unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
For the glaze:
1/2 c. water
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. fresh mint leaves
Directions:
Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a cathedral cake pan or a 10-cup Bundt pan.
To make the cake, over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and cream cheese on med. speed until creamy and smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the sugar and continue beating, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon and vanilla extracts. Reduce the speed to low, add half the flour mixture, then the coconut milk, then the remaining flour mixture. Beat each addition until just incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the coconut and lemon zest.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer to a wire rack and cool the cake upright in the pan for 10 minutes. set the rack over a sheet of waxed paper and invert the cake onto the rack.
The Glaze:
To make the glaze, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the water, lemon juice and sugar just until the sugar dissolves. Add the mint and simmer for 3 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the mint. Brush the warm cake with the glaze. Let the cake cool completely before serving.
Serves 16.
Dick and Hayden Cabell
Owners/Innkeepers
The Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm (Near Charlottesville, VA)
6051 Sugar Hollow Road Crozet, VA 22932
www.sugarhollow.com
866-566-7388
Awarded the Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor.com
Selected for Travelers' Choice Award Top B&B Inns in America by TripAdvisor.com
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