Recipe by June Jacobs
Photography by Sarah Jane Sanders

I grew up in a family that didn’t like, eat or serve coconut. And that was really hard for a coconut lover like me who used to save my pennies so I could buy a Mounds bar! This moist cake was the last recipe in my cookbook, Feastivals Cooks at Home. Years ago, I went to a potluck party of cooking teachers where Carmen, a friend of mine, brought this cake. Instant love. She shared the recipe and the rest is history. I think I’ll be remembered for this recipe whether or not I want to be. It has become my favorite cake, and it’s most requested by my favorite person to cook for.

Coconut Pound Cake

Makes one 10-inch tube (or bundt) cake or two 9×5-inch loaf cakes

Ingredients
1 pound unsalted butter
2 cups pure cane sugar
2 cups flour (divided in half)
6 extra large eggs
7 ounces shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make sure the rack is in the center of the oven.
Grease and flour the pan(s).
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (Carmen says “as a shampooed cat”).
3. Add one cup flour and beat some more.
4. Meanwhile, add the vanilla to the eggs (in a separate bowl). Then add eggs one at a time to batter, beating well after each addition.
5. Now mix coconut with the remaining one cup flour and add to batter, using a wooden spoon to incorporate. Pour into desired pan(s).
6. Bake about 45 minutes to one hour. Be sure to test with a cake tester or long toothpick to be sure it comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. [If it doesn’t come out clean, leave it in a few minutes longer!]

The Glaze
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon pure extract (almond or vanilla–be inspired)

Method
1. Combine sugar and water and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add extract. Glaze is now ready.
2. When cake comes out of the oven, poke holes through cake with skewers and pour glaze on while cake is warm–while the cake is still in the pan. Don’t remove the cake from the pan until it is completely cool.

Teacher’s Tip: This cake is best 24 hours after baking. But it generally won’t last until then, so bake two and eat one warm and hold the other until the magic 24 hours is up! (per Carmen Cook’s instructions)

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