Strawberry-Lime shortcakes with Coconut Cream

Daughter Brandi decided to serve this luscious dessert at a bridal shower she was hosting.  The recipe comes from the Best Bites cookbook and is actually a recipe I've been wanting to try.  Since Brandi's life is full of busy/crazy, I volunteered to make the sour cream pound cakes.

I'm glad I did.  Although they aren't hard, they are very "high maintenance"  - meaning that I made 4 batches of the batter, and baked 3 in  Baker's Secret enamel bread pans, and one in a glass cake pan.  I took the metal pans out 10 minutes early since they were getting too done.  The bottoms were almost burnt.  I cooked the glass pan the allotted time...but again, the top and bottom just seemed too "tough" to me (does that make sense?)  I wanted the cakes to be perfect for the shower and  I make another batch.  This time I cooked the cake in the glass pan, the allotted time, but by watching it closely, I put foil on the rack underneath the cakes and then tented foil over the top....and they came out perfect.

Nothing like having to babysit cake!  The cakes that were too done on the bottoms were easily fixed and still yummy.  I sliced off the bottom and sides and then sliced the loaf to make perfect cakes.  (I take my crusts off bread anyway....)

The cakes were good and other than babysitting, not hard to do.  But in a pinch I think I would just buy lemon pound cake at the store bakery.  Then proceed with the rest of the recipe:

Strawberry-Lime Shortcakes with Coconut Cream

6 slices of Sour Cream Pound Cake (or scones or angel food cake or lemon pound cake from a store.)
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 T. fresh-squeezed lime juice (about 2 fresh limes)
3/4 toasted coconut- see below
coconut whipped cream- see below

Mix sliced strawberries, sugar, and lime juice.  stir well and set aside.  stir occasionally over about 15 minutes.  You want the sugar to dissolve and form a light syrup.

 Coconut Whipped Cream-

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. coconut extract
1 tsp. vanilla
 pour cream into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about one minute.  slowly add powdered sugar and both extracts.  Continue beating until soft peaks form.

Toasted Coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spread desire amount of sweetened coconut onto a cookie sheet or other oven-safe dish.  If your coconut is unsweetened, you can toss it with a little powdered sugar first.

Place in oven and cook for about 2-5 minutes depending on how much you're doing.  It's important to stir often, about every 30 seconds, especially when it starts to brown. (So this isn't the time to send an email or finish watching a t.v. show or talk on the phone.  Just sayin'...)  The coconut will be dry and lightly browned.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened (one stick)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.  beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy,m about one minute.  continue beating and add eggs, one at a time,  Add the vanilla and sour cream.   slowly add the flour mixture while beating, and beat just until combined.

Pour the batter into a greased 8-inch or 9-inch loaf pan (I prefer glass for the reasons mentioned at the beginning) and bake 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan.

To assemble:  put a slice on cake on an individual serving plate.  Top with strawberry mixture, then whipped cream, then toasted coconut on top.  Yum!