Recipe for cooking tropical pound cake

Desserts to Go with Coffee and Tea :: Buttery Pound Cakes

Tropical Pound Cake

3/4 c. sweetened flaked coconut
2 c. sugar
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
3 eggs
4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking soda
1/2 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract or flavoring
1 tsp. rum extract or flavoring
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 (16 ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice,
    drained, reserving 1/4 c. juice
1/2 c. mashed ripe bananas
1/2 c. pitted dates, chopped

Crunchy Topping
1 c. dried plantain chips, crushed
1 c. sweetened flaked coconut
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the coconut in a shallow pan and bake for 5 to 10 mins., stirring occasionally, or until golden.

In a lrg. nonreactive bowl, with an electric mixer on med.-high speed, cream sugar and butter about 1 min. or until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. By hand, blend in flour, baking soda, sour cream, vanilla extract or flavoring, rum extract or flavoring, lemon rind and 1/4 c. reserved pineapple juice. Mix well. Blend in drained pineapple, mashed bananas and dates. (The mixture will be fairly thick.)

In a sm. bowl, blend all topping ingredients together. Spoon cake batter into a lightly greased and floured 8-in. Bundt pan; sprinkle topping mixture over batter and bake 1 hour and 50 mins. or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan and slice.

Makes approximately 10 to 12 servings.