Cuckoo for Coconut

My friend Lisa sent along this recipe for a coconut bundt cake just in time! I had a holiday champagne and dessert party to attend, and thought that the recipe would lend itself nicely to a festive holiday dish. So I tweaked it a little and made individual mini-bundt cakes, and added coconut and powdered sugar to the top to resemble snowflakes. Adorable - and a big hit at the party!

Coconut Bundt Cake
Contributed by Lisa Payne

Blend together:

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons Coconut flavoring

Add to the above:

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)
  

Grease and flower a bundt pan; pour mix into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes away cleanly from the center (check the cake after an hour since oven temperatures will vary).

Coconut Sauce

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter

In a sauce pan bring the ingredients to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes; remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring. Pour over the cake that you have removed from the bundt pan; let stand 4 hours.

(For my variation, sprinkle the top of the cake with coconut immediately after soaking with the sauce - it will help the coconut adhere. Lightly dust with powdered sugar.)