Coconut Pecan Pound Cake
This is a wonderful snacking and brunch cake. Sweet but not overly so, with crunch from the pecans and caramel flavor. It can be made as one bundt or two loaves and freezes well.
Servings 8 slices
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 cups white sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 6 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose or cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar to dust before serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180°C). Grease a 10 or 12-cup bundt cake pan (26cm) with soft shortening, covering every angle, nook and cranny. Dust with flour, shaking off excess. Reserve.
- Beat 1 ½ cups unsalted butter and 1 cup cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add 1 cup dark brown sugar and 2 cups white sugar gradually and beat for 2 more minutes until light.
- Add 6 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and mix.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients (3 cups all purpose or cake flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ¾ teaspoon salt) in 2 additions, mixing each time just until smooth. Don’t overmix.
- Add 1 cup pecans and 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut and fold with a spatula until well integrated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no dry spots left.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan, filling no more than ¾ of its capacity. Smooth the top and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until a kitchen tester or toothpick comes out clean and the top is cracked and golden. It can take longer.
- Let cool for 15-20 minutes on a wire rack and carefully (it's still hot and tender) remove from the pan. Dust with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar before eating.
- Keep covered in plastic wrap for 2 or 3 days at room temperature.
Notes
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Removing the cake from the pan: flipping and removing bundt cakes is one of the less exciting moments. I use simple pans for that reason. If you use one with an intricate pattern be patient and check (as much as you can) that the cake is not sticking to the center hole or the edges. I use a smooth-bladed knife to carefully unstuck bits of batter.
Loaf pan: you can halve the recipe and make a large loaf.
