Coconut Pound Cake (Gretchen's) by Barbara

This is one of Gretchen's favorite recipes.  She is Tom's sister and a very good cook.  I copied the recipe down many, many years ago, but I had never made it.  I ran across it in my recipe box when I was looking for something else a few days ago.  So glad I made it.  It is so good!!  

Unforturnately, my cake stuck to the Bundt pan, even though I thought I had buttered it well.  Nonetheless, I will definitely make it again and post a better photo.  For the future, I also tracked down an original Bundt pan which is much heavier than the one I used.  That may have been a factor for why it stuck.  But most likely, it was because I did not let the cake cool before turning it out.  Oh, well.  

---Barbara

Coconut Pound Cake 

(adapted from Gretchen Gaul, Tom's sister)

Makes one Bundt cake

2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), very soft

3/4 c. Crisco

3 cups sugar

5 eggs, at room temperature

2 t. coconut flavoring

3 cups flour (all-purpose)

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

7 ounces sweetened coconut flakes (1 bag or 2 1/3 cups)

Cream together butter, Crisco, and sugar.  Bake 1.5 hours at 325 degrees.  Check at 1 hr. 20 mins.  

That's all the recipe said.  

Here's what I did:  

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and whisk together.  Add the coconut and toss together until evenly distributed.  Set aside.  

Cream together the butter, Crisco, and sugar.  I probably overwhipped mine.

Add one egg at a time, there are five! Then add the coconut flavoring. 

Then stir the flour mixture into the batter gently.  

Spoon into a well greased Bundt pan.  

Smooth out the top.

Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.

At 1 hour 20 minutes check for doneness.  Mine wasn't done, so I baked it for the full 1 hr. 30 minutes. 

Looks great, doesn't it? Cool on a rack for 15 minutes.  And here is where I went wrong.  

I removed the cake when it was too hot.  

I don't know how long to let the cake cool before turning it out.  But when I figure it out, I will update the recipe.  

I put it back together as best I could. 

I will definitely be making it again, whipping it less, greasing the pan better and letting it cool before I turn it out. 

Gretchen also told me afterwards that she often makes it in a springform pan.  I like that idea.  Less risky.

B

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