Happy 5th Anniversary, Coconut & Lime! Here is my entry for your fantastic anniversary contest and here's to hoping I win something nice!
I was pleased with this the way this pound cake turned out. It was moist and not overly dense. I think the cake flour helped in that department. In addition, the lime taste was lovely. Why haven't I flavored my pound cakes before? This could be the start of a serious obsession. The flavor combination of lime, pineapple, mango and coconut was absolutely delicious and made me wish I was somewhere tropical instead of grilling on the concrete slab out back in Locust Point, Baltimore! I haven't made a ton of pound cakes in my time, so if you try this one, I'd love to hear some feedback about how it went.
Now, you certainly don't have to grill your pound cake to add the fruit compote and toasted coconut; however, I sure do like a little crisp and caramelization in the summer on my pound cake. And, hey, once you drag the grill out and get the coals hot, why not grill up some dessert? This was my first grill endeavor of the season. First, I made some turkey burgers and, then, threw the pound cake on. I was flyin' solo today, so only grilled up enough for me. I will say that I am no grill master and I am a bit out of practice. The heat was a bit uneven and, thus, you can tell which side of the grill was hotter in my photo! I'll practice more, I promise.
As far as the fruit compote goes, I really just made this up as I went along. A little brown sugar, a splash of vanilla, and a drizzle of molasses made for a rich flavor. I also squeezed some extra lime over the whole thing once I slapped it on the plate. So delicious.
You can also try this recipe from last year:
Lime Pound Cake
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of two medium limes
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup whole milk
Heat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Combine cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together.
Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time and combine well. Then, add the vanilla and zest. Mix to combine.
Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low just until combined.
Add the lime juice and mix on low until combined.
Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined.
Add the milk and mix on low until combined.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Even out the top of the batter with a small spatula.
Place loaf pan on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 20 to 30 minutes.
Rotate the loaf pan halfway through. During the last 20 minutes or so, if you feel the loaf
is browning too much, you can cover it with some foil. The cake should look golden brown and
you should be able to insert a cake tester or toothpick into the center and have it come out clean.
Cool on a wire rack in the pan for about 25 minutes. Then, loosen the edges with a paring knife and remove from the pan.
Pineapple-Mango Compote
1 cup of 1/4 inch pieces of fresh pineapple
1 cup of 1/4 inch pieces of fresh mango
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
3 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
*this made about 2 cups of compote and I used about 1/3 cup on my cake
Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Over medium high heat, bring the liquid to a boil. Then, reduce heat to low and let it reduce until desired consistency. I kept it on the heat for roughly 10 minutes, just enough to soften the fruit without losing too much shape and have a syrup-like consistency that would soak into the cake.
Also, don't forget to toast some sweetened flaked coconut for this dessert.
To put it together
Brush a slice of cake with some canola or vegetable oil. You could also brush some simple syrup on it. Place over medium heat on the grill for 1-2 minutes each side. Then, spoon compote over warm cake, sprinkle with toasted coconut, squeeze a little fresh lime over it, and serve.
