Island-Inspired Bundt Cake

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained and juice reserved, divided
• ¾ cup water
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 (15.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant coconut cream pudding mix
• Sauce:
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup dark rum

Step 1

Warm your oven to 350°F (175°C) and greasing a Bundt pan really well, then dust it lightly with flour to keep the cake from sticking. In a large bowl, mix together the bananas, pineapple juice, water, applesauce, eggs, and coconut extract until everything is smooth and combined. Next, add the cake mix, shredded coconut, and pudding mix, and beat on medium speed for about two minutes until the batter is nice and smooth. Pour this into your prepared pan.

Step 2

Pop the pan in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once it’s done, let the cake cool right in the pan while you make the sauce.

Step 3

For the sauce, combine brown sugar, cream, and butter in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Stir in the rum and crushed pineapple, then keep boiling it gently for 4 to 5 minutes until it thickens a bit. Take it off the heat and let it cool down.

Step 4

When the cake is cool enough, poke holes all over the top while it's still in the pan. Spoon about a third of the sauce over it—try to avoid adding too much pineapple at this point so the sauce soaks in nicely. Then, place a plate over the pan and carefully flip it over to release the cake onto the plate. Pour the remaining sauce and pineapple over the top, spreading it evenly. Let the cake sit for about 30 minutes so it can soak up all those delicious flavors before slicing and serving.