Easy Pineapple Coconut Cake

Most of my experiments are based on things that need to be used up. And I have quite a few things that fall into this category at any time. For example: Eggs. I always have eggs at home even when it is used only for baking. Exception is when my mother-in-law stays with us for a few months (I bake egg free the entire time she stays). I had some eggs that would expire soon. Pair it with the pineapple juice that was the byproduct of using canned pineapple to make cranberry pineapple chutney few days back. I had to come up with something that uses both.
I had made a Pineapple Coconut Pound Cake for a friend few weeks back. I didn't blog about it though. I tried to mimic the same flavor but with less work and used both the ingredients that needed to be used up.

What did I do with the cake? you might wonder. I gave it away to a friend who had house full of guests. A win-win situation. Smart people probably would've thrown the eggs in trash, drank the pineapple juice. But then, I never said I am smart. Did I?

One Year back - Zucchini Bread
Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 3 cups
Sugar - 2 cups
Baking Soda - 1 tsp
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Pineapple juice - 1 1/2 cups
Oil - 1 cup
Vanilla - 2 tsp
Egg - 2 large
Sweetened shredded coconut - 1 cup


Optional Glaze:
Confectioner's Sugar - 1 cup
Milk - 2 - 3 TBSP to get the pouring consistency
Vanilla - 1/2 tsp
Sweetened or Unsweetened Shredded Coconut - 1/4 cup

Method:
In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Add shredded coconut and mix one more time. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 12 cup tube pan (a bundt pan would do just fine or two 8 X 4 or  9 X 5 loaf pans will do too). In a small bowl or a 4 cup measuring cup, whisk together oil, pineapple juice, eggs. You need to beat it till eggs are mixed with the oil and juice. Add vanilla. Stir. Pour this slowly on to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir till everything is uniform and no lumps are left. No vigorous beating is necessary. This batter is pretty thin. Pour in to the prepared pan. Bake for 50 - 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then turn it on to the wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze:
Mix confectioner's sugar, vanilla and milk to make the glaze. Toast the coconut in a skillet till golden. Set aside to cool. Pour the glaze when the cake is completely cool. Sprinkle the toasted coconut on the glaze before it sets.

Enjoy.