Dad’s Olive Oil-Coconut Layered Cake with Pineapple Curd ~#TheCakeSliceBakers

Eating Dad’s Olive Oil-Coconut Layered Cake with Pineapple Curd is like going on a tropical vacation and enjoying a Piña Colada. This cake has soft layers of soft coconut cake, pineapple curd filling, and frosted with coconut cream cheese frosting.

Caramelized Pineapple Tropical Loaf ~ #TheCakeSliceBakers

This Caramelized Pineapple Tropical Loaf cake packs quite the punch of flavor. Caramelizing

the pineapple enhances its sweetness and concentrates the flavor, the rums takes it up a notch, 

and the toasted coconut adds a wonderful nuttiness and a hint of  crunch.

Pineapple Pound Cake ~ BundtBakers

A tropical take on the classic pound cake that you will find hard to resist. With lots of crushed 

pineapple baked inside, this Pineapple Pound Cake is the perfect tropical treat!

Pina Colada Cake ~ #TheCakeSliceBakers

This little Pina Colada Cakes brings to mind tropical islands and relaxing

in the sun - something we are all hoping to be able to do freely very soon.

Pineapple, Ginger & Saffron Syrup Cakes ~ CakeSliceBakers

"Cakes are healthy too, you just eat a small slice."- Mary Berry     

Hawaiian Plantation Ice Tea Bundt Cake - #BundtBakers

Imagine a delicious glass of summer iced plantation tea. Take a long cool sip. Listen to the

ice crackle and clink. Now imagine that tea in cake form.

Morning Glory Bundt Cake with Yogurt & Granola Topping ~ #BundtBakers

"I love breakfast, and I don't see any reason it has to be cereal and eggs and toast." Ruth Reichl.  I totally agree and this Morning Glory Bundt with Yogurt Granola Topping would be the perfect something else.

Hummingbird Cake ~ #CakeSliceBakers

With the sweetness of pineapple and banana, this cake would be sure to have 

the hummingbird buzzing around it.

Midori Splice Bundt Cake ~ #BundtBakers

I remember the joy of eating a Pine Lime Splice popsicle as a kid.  Then I discovered the joy of a Midori Pine Lime Splice cocktail - which has the same flavor profile as the popsicle - as an adult, and fell in love with the flavors all over again. Both are still favorites of mine, and that is why are decided to turn these flavors into a bundt cake for this months #BundtBakers.

Lava Flow Bundt Cake - #BundtBakers

Ah, the tropical vacation.  Toes in the sand, beautiful aqua-blue water, tiki drink in hand - perfection. I am extremely lucky to call Hawaii home, so I guess in some ways I am always on a tropical vacation.

Pina Colada Mini Cheesecakes

I always look forward to the middle of the month because it means that I get to share another recipe from Lick the Bowl Good, the wonderful cookbook by fellow blogger Monica Holland.  This month we are sharing Pina Colada Mini Cheesecakes - and they are soooooo good.

Piña Colada Blondies with Toasted Coconut Glaze

A beautiful sunset, toes in the sand and a Piña Colada in your hand. Sounds like paradise doesn't it? Unfortunately it doesn't happen all that often, even though I live in Hawaii.  So I came up with the next best thing - Piña Colada Blondies with Toasted Coconut Glaze.

What is a blondie you may ask?  Well, I used to think that they were supposed to be like brownies without the chocolate, but they really are more cake-like and not dense at all.  There are many recipes for blondies but I loosely based mine on a recipe by Martha Stewart, and then gave it a pineapple and coconut twist.

As the song says, "If you like piña colada's", then you will love these blondies. Well, that is not quite the lyrics but after one bite you will want to change them just like I did. I loved the crushed pineapple in them because it kind of melted into the cake, and the glaze on top is pure coconut goodness. This recipe will make 9 large blondies, and can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Piña Colada Blondies with Toasted Coconut Glaze
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients
Blondies ~

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ cups crushed pineapple, well drained (reserve the liquid)
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 2 tablespoons Malibu® coconut rum or coconut essence 
• ¼ cup pineapple juice (from reserved liquid)

Glaze ~

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 tablespoons cream of coconut (I used Coco Lopez)
• 2 tablespoons Malibu® coconut rum or coconut essence
• 1 teaspoon hot water
• ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Preparation
Blondies ~

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.
2. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang, and butter lining (excluding overhang).
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Add eggs, Malibu, coconut, and pineapple juice, and mix until combined.
6. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mix for 1 minute then stop the mixer and scrape the paddle and sides of the bowl with a spatula.  Continue to mix for another minute, or until well combined.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan spreading evenly with a spatula.
8. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into blondies comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 40 to 45 minutes.
9. Cool slightly in pan for about 15 minutes, and then lift out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
10. Whilst blondies are cooling toast coconut  - preheat oven to 350℉, place coconut on a tray lined with parchment and put in the oven, stirring every 5 minutes until golden brown - keep an eye on it as it can burn quickly.

Glaze ~

1. Place sifted powdered sugar in a bowl, add cream of coconut, Malibu, and water and stir until smooth.
2. Once blondies are cool, gently spoon glaze over the top allowing it to run over the sides.
3. Sprinkle blondies with toasted coconut and cut into bars.

Recipe by All That's Left Are The Crumbs©

Tropical White Sangria

Sangria is a fruit-based wine punch predominately from Spain and Portugal, and it is just the thing on a hot summer's day.  Not only is it very refreshing but there are so many different ways to make it.  Both white and red versions are very popular.

We decided to go with a white version, or sangria blanca, for our July 4th celebration.  We love sangria because it is not too heavy and you can adapt it to any fruit you may have on hand. You can also add as much, or as little alcohol as you want, and you can vary the soda to make a completely different taste.  We used seltzer water but you could also try club soda, lemon-lime soda, ginger ale, a flavored mineral water, or even an orange-based soda.  Like I said, the possibilities are endless.

After mixing up the basics we placed it in the refrigerator overnight.  You can serve it straight away over ice, but I prefer to let the flavors muddle a little.  Once we were ready to serve we added the additional fruit and the soda.

Tropical White Sangria

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 x 1.5 liter bottle of white wine - I used a moscato 
• ½ cup white sugar, dissolved in a little hot water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup pineapple
• 3 oranges, sliced  
• 2 lemons, sliced into wedges
• 2 limes, sliced into wedges
• 10 strawberries, cut in half
• 6 lychee, peeled, seeded, and cut in half
• 3 x 355 ml cans club soda or spritzer water

Preparation

1. Pour wine in the pitcher.
2. Lightly squeeze the juice from the lemon and lime wedges by hand into the pitcher.
3. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and orange slices and add sugar.
4. Add the orange juice and pineapple juice - stir.
5. Chill overnight.
6. Add strawberries and lychee.
7. Add club soda or seltzer just before serving. 
8. If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled white wine and serve over lots of ice.  
9. Addition ideas - peaches, handful of fresh blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, a shot of cointreau, brandy or rum, a cup of citrus-flavored soda.

Recipe adapted from a sangria recipe on About.com