Pina Colada Pound Cake

Pina colada pound cake takes the cocktail apart and rebuilds it as dessert. Crushed pineapple and shredded coconut get folded right into a classic butter-and-egg pound cake batter, with a generous splash of coconut rum carrying that island bar smell straight into your kitchen.

The buttery bundt structure is what makes this work. The dense, fine-crumbed pound cake holds the heavy fruit and coconut without collapsing, and the bundt’s contoured surface gives the warm rum-pineapple glaze plenty of nooks to soak into.

Glazing while the cake is still warm is the move that takes this from good to memorable. Hot cake drinks the boozy syrup deep into the crumb, while the surface stays glossy and just barely sticky to the touch.

Pro Tips

• Drain the crushed pineapple thoroughly and reserve the juice for the glaze. Excess juice in the batter sinks the fruit and gums up the crumb.
• Cream the butter and sugar a full 4 minutes until truly pale and fluffy. This is the only leavening that matters in a pound cake, baking powder is just a backup.
• Grease and flour every curve of the bundt pan. A sticky pineapple-coconut batter is unforgiving with shortcuts.
• Boil the glaze just 2 minutes, then add the rum off heat. Long boiling cooks off the rum’s flavor.

Variations

• Layer the cake (per the recipe note): half batter, then pineapple-coconut filling, then remaining batter for a tunnel of fruit through the center.
• Toast the coconut before folding in for a nuttier, deeper flavor.
• Serve slices with a scoop of coconut ice cream and a drizzle of warm glaze for full pina colada effect.