California Pound Cake

Pound Cake
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
grated rind of 1 lemon
1 (16 ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained,
    reserve 1/4 cup juice
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped

Crunchy Topping
1 cup plantain chips, crushed
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Place the coconut in a shallow pan and bake 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until golden.

In a large non-reactive bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream sugar and butter about 1 minute or until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. By hand, blend in flour, soda, sour cream, vanilla, rum extract, lemon rind and 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice. Mix well. Blend in drained pineapple, mashed bananas and dates. (The mixture will be fairly thick.)

To make topping: In a small bowl, blend all topping ingredients together.

Spoon cake batter into a lightly greased and floured 8-inch Bundt pan; sprinkle topping mixture over batter and bake 1 hour and 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan and slice.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings