YIELD:One yummy round cake

Ingredients

Ingredients * 1 1/2 cups white sugar

* 2 tsp of orange zest

* 1 cup butter

* 5 eggs ( YES - really!)

* 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

* 1 cup buttermilk - ( you can always add 1 Tbsp of vinegar to milk as a substitute)

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1 cup flaked coconut



Procedure

* Prepare Chewy Rum Coconut Orange Zest (THIS STEP IS TOTALLY OPTIONAL) You can just add zest and coconut later if you don't want moist chewy zesty coconut.

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

* Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.

* Mix flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

* In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

* Add eggs one at a time; beat well.

* Mix in vanilla/almond flavoring.

* Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing well with each addition.

* Fold in coconut and orange zest. If you made the syrup - add the coconut/rum/orange zest.

* Pour batter into prepared pan. I highly suggest you flour the pan if you made the coconut rum syrup mixture. I makes the cake real sticky.

* Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Procedure for Infused Orange Rum Coconut

* 1 Cup of Coconut

* 2 Cups of Water

* 2 tsp of orange zest

* 1/8 cup rum

* Pour all ingredients into sauce pan EXCEPT rum

* Bring to boil

* Simmer for 20 minutes - mixture will not reduce much. That's OK. All you are looking for is to infuse the coconut with flavor.

* After 20 minute pull off of burner and add rum.

* Strain off all liquid. You will have a pile of moist infused coconut.

* Make sure the coconut is close to room temperature before adding to cake batter.

* Too, don't leave coconut too moist, or that will affect the texture of your cake. Use that good cooking judgment skill.



NOTE: The coconut topping is simple. I soaked a cup of coconut in Malibu rum until it absorbed the rum. Right before serving I toasted just until the tips were golden. It's not necessary, but it adds to the coconut aroma and it just plain looks a little better than cheap bakeries.