Toasted Coconut Macadamia Pound Cake
For the cake:
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (about 6 ounces
a 7-ounce jar macadamia nuts (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 sticks (l cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
For the glaze:
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup amber or dark rum
Preheat oven to 350F, and butter and flour a l0-inch (3-quart) bundt pan.
Make pound cake:
Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in middle of oven, stirring occasionally and watching carefully to avoid burning, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer coconut to a bowl and cool. Spread nuts in pan and toast in middle of oven until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool nuts and chop coarse. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy and beat in cream cheese. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into bowl and beat just until combined well. Stir in coconut and chopped nuts. Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto rack.
Make the glaze:
In a small heavy saucepan bring water with sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in rum. Brush hot glaze evenly over outside of warm cake until absorbed. Cool cake completely.
