Coconut-Pineapple-Pecan Cake

This cake starts with a cake mix - really! But it is oh so yummy - and so worth the effort to make it more than an ordinary cake mix! The first time I made it was to use up evaporated milk and canned pineapple in food storage, so if you do not have evaporated milk, just use whole milk in place of it and the water.

  Ingredients for Cake

10 x 13 baking pan
Pam or other cooking spray (regular or butter flavor)
1 pkg white cake mix
8 TBL melted butter (1 stick)
½  C evaporated milk
¼  C water
¼  C pineapple juice
4 egg whites

  Ingredients for Topping Layers

1 entire 20 oz can CRUSHED pineapple (packed in juice – you need the juice)
1 C sugar

1 pkg Instant vanilla pudding
1 ½ C evaporated milk -cold
1 ½ C water - cold

8 oz carton heavy whipping cream

5 TBL powdered sugar

1 C chopped pecans

1 C shredded coconut

First make your cake ~

Spray a 10 x 13 pan with pam or other cooking spray and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°
Mix dry cake mix, melted butter, egg whites, evaporated milk, water and juice on low speed till all ingredients are moist. Use spatula to scrape down sides of bowl and beat again, with mixer on medium, for 2 minutes. The batter will be thick but well-blended.

Pour into baking pan using rubber spatula to spread evenly. It will be much thicker than most cake batter.

Bake at 350° for 30-33 minutes.

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While it is baking, prepare topping layers.

In a medium saucepan, place crushed pineapple with its juice and the sugar. Heat on medium until the sugar is dissolved and it just begins to boil. Set pan aside.

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Remove cake from oven and turn over onto serving platter or cardboard cakeboard. While it is still hot, poke holes (50-60) in the top of it, using a straw. Spoon the pineapple mixture on top and spread it evenly – all while still hot.

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Next, mix the pudding and cold evaporated milk and water in a mixing bowl and beat with a wisk or blender. Spread it over the pineapple layer and place entire cake in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

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Prepare your whipped cream by beating the heavy cream, and adding the sugar just after it begins to thicken. Continue beating until it becomes whipped cream but do not overbeat or you will end up with butter.

Gently fold in the shredded coconut and chopped pecans and spread this whipped layer topping over the pudding layer, using it to frost the side if there is enough.

Chill another 30 minutes before serving and keep chilled until ready to eat.

Sweet memories of Hanalei Bay

Hawaiian Banana Nut Bread
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 c grated coconut
1 cup canola oil
4 tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp salt
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1 ½ cups chopped macadamia nuts
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple
Combine flour, salt, baking soda, sugar and cinnamon. Combine remaining ingredients together, add to flour, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured (or use Pam) loaf pans. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool on wire racks.
So easy!