Tropical Vacation Bundt Cake

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder

**Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.**

## **Ingredients**

* 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained and **juice reserved**
* 2 cups coconut flakes
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 4 large eggs
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup pineapple juice ***(from the can of crushed pineapple)***
* 8-ounce ***(by weight)*** tub of sour cream ***(I used Knudsen.)***
* 1 teaspoon pineapple extract ***(if you can't find it, use vanilla extract instead)***
* 1 teaspoon coconut extract ***(if you can't find it, use vanilla extract instead)***
* 1 box spiced cake mix, the kind that makes a 9-inch by 13-inch cake or a 2-layer cake ***(I used Duncan Hines Spice Cake.)***
* 5.1-ounce package of DRY instant coconut cream pudding and pie filling ***(I used Jell-O)***
* 5.1-ounce package of DRY instant banana cream pudding mix ***(I used Jell-O)***
* 12-ounce ***(by weight)*** bag of white chocolate or vanilla baking chips ***(11-ounce package will do, too -- I used Nestle.)***

## **Prepare your Bundt Ban**

### You'll need a Bundt Pan that has been sprayed with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray and then floured:

**To flour a Bundt pan**, put several Tablespoons of **flour** in the bottom and hold it over your kitchen wastebasket. **Shake** the flour around in the bottom for a few seconds and then tip the pan ***(over the wastebasket, of course!)*** and turn it, tapping it gently with your hand to move the flour all over the inside of the pan. Continue turning and tapping until all the inside surfaces of the pan, **including the sides** **of the crater in the center**, have been covered with a light coating of flour.

**Alternatively**, you can coat the inside of the Bundt pan with **Pam Baking Spray**, which is a nonstick cooking spray with flour already in it. If you choose this method of flouring your pan, let the baking spray **dry** and then give the inside of the Bundt pan a **second coating** with the spray.

## **To Make the Cake Batter:**

* Open the can of **crushed pineapple**.
* Set a strainer over a small bowl.
* Drain the crushed pineapple and **reserve the juice in the bow**l. Leave the pineapple in the strainer and get a double thickness of paper towels. Use the paper towels to press down on the crushed pineapple to get out all the juice.

* Measure out a 1/2 cup of the crushed **pineapple juice**. If you don't have enough in the bowl, use canned pineapple juice to make up the difference. Set aside.
* Measure out 2 cups of **coconut flakes** ***(pressing them down in the measuring cup)***. Set aside.

* Place HALF of the **flour** in the bottom of a ***food processor*** with the steel blade attached.
* Scatter the **coconut flakes** over the flour.
* Sprinkle the second HALF of the **flour** over the top of the coconut flakes and process, using an **on-and-off motion**, until the coconut flakes have been chopped into much smaller pieces.

* Crack the **eggs** into the bowl of an ***electric mixer***. Mix them up on LOW speed until they uniform in color.
* Pour in half-cup **vegetable oil** and mix it in with the eggs on LOW speed.
* Add the half-cup of **pineapple juice** and mix it in at LOW speed.
* Scoop out the cup of **sour cream** and add it to your bowl. Mix that in on LOW speed.
* Dry off the **crushed pineapple** **again** with more paper towels and add the pineapple to your mixing bowl. Mix that in on LOW speed.

* Add the **flour** and **chopped coconut flakes** **mixture** to your bowl. Mix them in at LOW speed.
* Add the teaspoon of **pineapple extract** and the teaspoon of **coconut extract**. Mix those in at LOW speed. Continue to mix until everything is well combined.

* Shut off the mixer and open the box of **dry cake mix**. Sprinkle **HALF** of it on top of the ingredients in the mixer bowl. ***(You don't have to be exact -- just guesstimate.)***
* Turn the mixer on LOW speed and mix until everything is well combined.
* Shut off the mixer and sprinkle in **the rest of the dry cake mix.** Mix that in on LOW speed.

* Shut off the mixer open the package of **DRY coconut cream pudding and pie filling**. Sprinkle it on top and mix it in on LOW speed.
* Shut off the mixer open the package of **DRY banana cream pudding and pie filling**. Sprinkle it  on top and mix it in on LOW speed.
* Shut off the mixer and **scrape down** the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and set it on the counter.  Give the bowl a **stir by hand** with a mixing spoon.
* Sprinkle the **white chocolate or vanilla baking chips** on top and stir them in by hand.

* Use the rubber spatula to **transfer** the cake batter to the Bundt pan you prepared.
* **Smooth** the top of your Tropical Vacation Bundt Cake with the spatula and put it into the center of your preheated oven.
* **Bake** your cake at 350 degrees F. fo**r 55 minutes.**

### **Before you take your cake out of the oven**:

**Test it for doneness** by inserting a cake tester, thin wooden skewer, or long toothpick. Insert it midway between the outside edges of the pan and the metal protrusion that makes the crater in the center of the pan.

**If the tester comes out clean**, your cake is done. If there is still unbaked batter clinging to the tester, shut the oven door and bake your cake in **5-minute increments** until the tester comes out clean.

**Once your cake is done**, take it out of the oven and set it on a cold stovetop burner or a wire rack. Let it **cool** in the pan for **20 minutes** and then pull the sides away from the pan with the tips of your impeccably clean fingers. Don't forget to do the same for the sides of the crater in the middle.

* Then place a platter and a folded towel **next to each other** on your countertop.
* **Tip** the Bundt pan upside down on a platter and drop it gently on the folded towel; do this until the cake falls out of the pan and rests on the platter.
* **Cover** your Tropical Vacation Bundt Cake loosely with foil and **refrigerate** it for at least **one hour**. ***(Overnight is even better).***

**This cake is very rich.** If you don't want to frost it, an alternative is to sprinkle it with powdered sugar and call it good. You can also dot it with **sweetened whipped cream** and decorate with seasonal fruits. **Strawberries** cut in half and raspberries are pretty on top of the whipped cream, and so are **peach** slices. If you like, you can get more exotic and decorate with **mango, papaya, and kiwi and/or nuts**.

**IF** you want to frost your cake, try Neverfail White Chocolate Frosting.

**Yield:** At least 10 pieces of sweet and rich cake with more than a hint of the tropics.

**Hannah's Serving Note: This cake is very rich and filling. Do not cut it into large pieces, or no one will be able to finish their portion. If it's thoroughly chilled, you can cut it into narrower slices and get at least 20 slices from each Tropical Vacation Bundt Cake.**