Tropical Island Cake with Coconut Rum Frosting

Baking a Tropical Island Cake with Coconut Rum Frosting while singing along (badly) to an old Bob Marley CD is my little way of wrinkling my nose at Old Man Winter.  The wind and cold outside my kitchen window just don’t stand a chance against bananas and pineapple, coconut, rum, and reggae music!

Ingredients (Makes a 9×13 inch sheet cake)

1/2 cup softened butter

2 eggs

3 very ripe, mashed bananas

1 cup fresh, diced pineapple

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans, but macadamia nuts would be fabulous, I think!)

Directions

Step 1) Grease and flour a 9×13 inch cake pan.

Step 2) In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, eggs, mashed bananas, diced pineapple, and sugar. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chopped nuts.

Step 3) Spread batter into cake pan and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 4) Allow to cool completely.  While cake is cooling, prepare Coconut Rum Frosting (below).  Frost cake and sprinkle with coconut.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for Coconut Rum Frosting (cream together all ingredients)

1/4 cup softened butter

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

2 tablespoons rum

3 tablespoons milk

3 cups powdered sugar

1 drop yellow food coloring

1 cup shredded coconut (to sprinkle on top of frosted cake)