Blogs

[#1]

Hi, everyone!

I’m at the beach for the week with my family and lost track of time…so sorry I didn’t post a blog yesterday! So before today escapes me, too, I just wanted to take a moment to share a great summer recipe that I plan to make this week…my Hawaiian Sheet Cake. I’ve never been to Hawaii, but my grandpa has, and I remember him telling me about the fresh pineapples and coconuts he ate on his Pacific vacation. So I think of him--and the beach!--every time I make this dessert.

Hawaiian Sheet Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 (20-oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained

Frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3-3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup toasted shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

1. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the cake and mix well. Pour the mixture into a jelly roll baking pan and bake for 35 minutes or until done. Let cool.
2. To toast the coconut, cook it in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the flakes are mostly golden brown. (Careful: if the coconut is sweetened, it will brown faster!) 
3. To make the cream cheese frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and garnish with toasted coconut and chopped pecans. If possible, refrigerate for a few hours before serving so that the frosting can firm.

Give this recipe a try before summer’s gone. And then why not make it again around the holidays this December. It’s easy, feeds an army, and calls for ingredients you can get at any time of year.

There’s no You’re Home with Jill(R) tonight since I’m off, but I’ll see you next week! Here are a few shots from our day at the beach yesterday…

XOXO,

—Jill