Coconut Orange Cake

     I would apologize for making two coconut-orange recipes in a row, but if you try either one of them, you'll see I have no reason to be sorry. It's my new favorite flavor combination for summer. I know I'm not the first person to make coconut pound cake, but now I can't even imagine it without my little citrus twist. After yesterday's macaroon recipe, I got to thinking that either those cookies or this cake would work with various types of citrus zest, including lemon and lime, though the more sour the fruit, the less zest you need. Today's cake is fruity and buttery and just generally delicious! I just had it for dessert and I can already foresee it turning into an almost acceptable breakfast tomorrow. It's so much more exciting than plain pound cake, so even if you're not a fan of that, as long as you like coconut, you should love this!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 sticks salted butter, softened
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar or sugar substitute
zest of 1 large orange
1 1/4 cups sweetened shredded coconut, divided
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon water

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and butter and flour a loaf pan. While the oven heats up, set the butter on the stove to soften it.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour,baking powder, salt, and orange zest.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for a few minutes. While that's going, mix the milk and lemon juice together in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes. This is sort of like making your own buttermilk because who actually buys buttermilk at the store?
4. Add 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and eggs to the butter in the mixer bowl. When that is combined, start alternating adding the milk mixture and the dry ingredients a little at a time until everything is well-mixed.
5. While you wait for the batter to mix, spread the coconut out evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes to toast. Keep a close eye on it!

Before

Toasted

6. Remove the batter bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in 2/3 of the toasted coconut. Save the other 1/3 for topping later.

7. Add the batter to the loaf pan, smooth over the top, and bang it on the counter once or twice so it settles. Bake for 1 hour.

8. Remove cake from oven, let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a butter knife along the edges and flip it upside-down onto a serving plate. Let it cool for another hour.
9. The icing is not meant to be super thick, it's just there to make sure the rest of the toasted coconut sticks to the top of the cake. Make it by mixing the other 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 tablespoon of water into 3/4 cup of powdered sugar.

10. You will have just enough icing to cover the top of the cake. Spoon it on, smooth it out, and cover it with the rest of the shredded coconut.

Enjoy, and come back tomorrow for the first grown-up food I ever ate as a baby. It's still one of my very favorite dinners!