Coconut Cake – No Rum, Not Needed

I knew I had a meeting coming up with a potluck lunch, which is always great for me because it means I can bake something fab and present it to a crowd. This might not seem like it would be an issue, but since I work at home, its not like I have an office that I go to regularly where I can bring my recipe tests. I do go to the gym regularly, but I can’t exactly walk in there with a cake on a fancy cake plate and slice up servings – for the gym ladies they have come to expect my baked goods already in easy-to-grab portions! They are still bugging me about cake balls…when am I making those again? (Late summer people…I will crank that production up again). My gym gals were with me during the recipe testing for my upcoming cake ball book and I have no one to blame but myself for creating that addiction.

This potluck was for my fellow Bull Terrier Club of New England board members (you can see my other life at Legacybts.blogspot.com) and they are always very appreciative…I was in a coconut mood and had bought a glass cake plate at a tag sale, so a large cake was in my mind. I originally intended on sprinkling it with rum and I have to tell you that the cake ended up being so damn good on its own that I just left it as is – coconut inside and out – with an optional Pineapple Filling. Coconut milk replaced whole milk in a white cake recipe and the buttercream was embedded with coconut as well. The cake really has an old-fashioned feel to it. The crumb is very moist and tender – make sure the cake is at room temp before serving or the frosting won’t be at its full potential of lusciousness. You will return to my Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling again and again.