coconut lime pound cake

when i was a kid, i loved reaching my hand into a box of chocolates, taking a bite, and seeing what i got. and in our house, boxes of chocolate only came once a year, at christmas in the form of a four piece whitman's sampler, so you had better pick a good one. each and every year, as hard as i tried to avoid the coconut, it felt like i always chose it first. and the only thing worse to a kid with braces was the chewy chocolate covered caramel.

lucky for me, i grew up and discovered true coconut goodness - pina coladas, coconut popsicles, samoas. and now i can add this cake to the list. it's the perfect bite of tropical goodness, when instead of lying on the beach drinking a pina colada, you're stuck at your desk at work, day dreaming about your next island getaway. the only thing better? a real pina colada, sitting on the beach, in mid february.

coconut lime pound cake
adapted from honey & jam and seven spoons
1 hr 15 min, makes 1 loaf

for the cake:
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups sweetened or unsweetened coconut
finely grated zest of one lime, about 1 tablespoon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for the glaze:
juice from one lime
1 to 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1. preheat your oven to 350F. spray an 8 by 4 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. in a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla and set aside.
3. in a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. stir in the sugar, coconut, and lime zest. make a well in the center and add the egg mixture, stir until combined. gently mix in the melted butter.
4. pour the batter into the pan and bake about one hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. remove from oven, and cool in the pan five to ten minutes. invert and finish cooling on a wire rack.
6. when the cake is cool, make the glaze. place the lime juice in a small bowl. add one cup confectioners sugar and whisk until blended. make the glaze to the consistency you like - add more confectioners sugar to make the glaze thicker or water to make it thinner. drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.

check out more sweet treats at sweet tooth friday and sweets for a saturday!