Filled with pecans, cherries, orange zest, and a hint of coconut, this cake is our nod to the old-fashioned fruit and coconut salad that adorned the parfait dishes at our grandmothers’ houses.
Ambrosia Pound Cake
Serves: 1 (13-cup) Bundt cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
- 2¼ cups granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- 3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole buttermilk, divided
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup maraschino cherries, stemmed, chopped, and patted dry
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- Garnish: unsweetened flaked coconut, orange zest strips, chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and zest with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts.
- In another large bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, salt, and baking soda. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with 1 cup buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Fold in pecans.
- Spray a 13-cup cast-iron Bundt pan with baking spray with flour. In a small bowl, toss together cherries and remaining 1 tablespoon flour; fold into batter. Spread batter into prepared pan.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 22 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto a cooling rack, and let cool completely.
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk until smooth; drizzle onto cooled cake. Garnish with coconut, zest, and pecans, if desired.
