Beat butter 1 minute until smooth.
Add sugar gradually, beating 4 minutes until pale yellow and fluffy. Scrape bowl twice—hidden sugar = gritty cake.
Add eggs one at a time, waiting 30 seconds between. Yolks should vanish completely.
3. Fold in the Goodness (The Island Breeze)
“Flour folds like a lullaby—gentle and slow.”
Whisk flour, baking powder, salt in separate bowl.
Alternate adding flour mix + sour cream to butter, starting and ending with flour. Mix 3 strokes only—overmixing = tough cake.
Fold in pineapple, coconut, extracts, and rum by hand with rubber spatula. Metal whisk = deflated batter.
4. Bake & Cool (The Patience Test)
“A bundt pan is a temple—never rush the offering.”
Pour into greased + floured bundt pan (use shortening + flour—butter burns).
Bake at 325°F (not 350!) for 70-80 mins. Toothpick test: Clean = done; crumbs = keep baking.
Cool 15 mins in pan → invert onto wire rack (not plate!). Steam = soggy bottom.
5. Glaze & Garnish (The Grand Finale)
“Glaze should weep, not flood.”
Whisk powdered sugar + 2 Tbsp pineapple juice until thick but pourable.
Drizzle over fully cooled cake (warm cake = glaze slide-off).
Sprinkle with toasted coconut (350°F for 5 mins) + maraschino cherry halves. No cherries = not a true piña colada.
You Must Know
Pineapple must be bone-dry—water = sunken cake
Coconut extract > coconut milk—milk curdles in batter
️ Bake low and slow—325°F prevents dome collapse
My #1 pro tip: Brush warm cake with 1 Tbsp rum before glazing—adds depth without sogginess
