Coconut Rum Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I have been a busy, busy girl lately! On top of being a wife, mother and domestic goddess (and oh yeah, pregnant!) I'm also a graphic designer. This summer has found me loaded with jobs. Baking has been pushed aside for more pressing chores like wedding invitations for excited brides. But the hormones haven't stopped making me crave baked goods so I've had to become stealthy in the kitchen. It's all about fast and easy these days... but also tasty!

I bought a pineapple on sale with the idea that my girls would gobble up it's juicy goodness, but I was sadly mistaken. They did eat some, but at the rate they were going it would have been mush before they finished it. So I needed to use it and FAST. I would have eaten it as is but the heartburn would have killed me! So I thought back to my childhood (ahhhh nostalgia) and remembered fondly my grandma's pineapple upside down cake. It was sweet and moist and so delish.

I'm still craving coconut, and pineapple and coconut go so perfectly together. Just thinking about it made my mind wander to tropical drinks by the pool... wait, tropical drinks... coconut rum! Yes! A little rum in the cake, even when pregnant (because the little bit of alcohol would be negligible after baking and spread throughout an entire cake), would be awesome thought I. And I made it so.

This cake is super easy and tastes like a vacation in your mouth! Using a boxed cake mix cuts wayyyy down on prep time so this cake is perfect for last minute BBQs or satisfying pregnant lady cravings!

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Coconut Rum Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1 vanilla cake mix
eggs
oil
water
1/4 c. coconut rum
2 tbsp butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 c. pineapple, diced (if using canned, drain & discard the juice)
1/2 c. coconut, toasted

Instructions:

1. Prepare your cake mix as per your brand's instructions substituting 1/4 c. of rum for 1/4 c. of the water.
2. Dot the butter around the bottom of a 8" x 8" pan and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
3. Spread the pineapple over the brown sugar & butter in an even layer.
4. Cover with the cake batter and bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then place a plate or platter over top the cake pan and invert to release the cake.
6. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

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enjoy!

Chocolate Toffee Coconut Squares

I'm not a huge fan of coconut. I'll have a small slice of coconut cream pie once or twice a year but other than I tend to avoid it. Until now. The past week I've been CRAVING coconut. I've actually toyed with the idea of buying a coconut and just going to town on that sucker while I watch TV after the kids go to bed.

Being too lazy to venture out to the store last night, I raided the pantry to satisfy my crazy pregnancy craving. I found 2 cups of shredded coconut and went hunting for a recipe. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that was a layered bar with a graham crust, creamy coconut filling and a chocolate coating. In getting the ingredients out of the cupboard I found an open, half-empty bag of toffee pieces and decided to use them up too.

Can I just say, even if you're not a coconut fan, these are a must try! The coconut/toffee/chocolate combination is just beyond yummy. I had a total foodgasm when I tried them! Just look at that filling... heaven!

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Chocolate Toffee Coconut Squares

2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 c. flaked coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. toffee pieces
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips, melted

Instructions:

1. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter and press into a 9 x13 pan. I actually used a 9 x 9 cause I didn't check the recipe. They turned out great, just thicker!
2. Bake the crumb crust for 15 minutes in a preheated 350˚F oven.
3. Combine the condensed milk, coconut and vanilla and spread mixture over the cooked graham crust.
4. Bake for another 15 minutes.
5. In the last 2 minutes of cooking time sprinkle the top with the toffee pieces and the chocolate chips.
6. When you remove the squares from the oven use a spatula to spread out the melted chocolate chips.
7. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then put in the fridge for 20 minutes or until set.

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enjoy!