Take a vacation from the ordinary with this finger-licking frosting. It’s brimming with pineapple and coconut for a taste of the tropics, no matter where you’re at.
| 1/2 | cup | unsalted butter, room temperature |
| 4 | ounces | cream cheese, room temperature |
| 2 | tablespoons | pineapple juice |
| 1 | lime, zested | |
| 1 | teaspoon | coconut extract |
| 1 | tablespoon | orange flower water* |
| 1 | teaspoon | clear vanilla extract** |
| 4+ | cups | powdered sugar |
| 1 | cup | shredded coconut |
*Orange flower water (also known as orange blossom water) is beautifully fragrant and delicately flavored. It is distilled from the blossoms of Seville, or bitter, oranges and used by cooks in the Mediterranean, Middle-East and Africa to flavor beverages and desserts.
**Clear vanilla extract, unlike the familiar bottles of brown extract, keeps this frosting white. Sold in small bottles, you’ll find it in the baking secti
- Place the butter, cream cheese, pineapple juice, lime zest, coconut extract, orange flower water and vanilla into the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Set the speed to medium and beat until light, approximately 2 minutes.
- Set speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar until just combined. Add a bit more sugar if the frosting is still too wet. Turn off the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the speed to medium-high and beat the frosting until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.
NOTE: This produces a bright, shiny frosting that looks like a pearl beneath the coconut topping.
- Frost the prepared cake.
- Sprinkle the shredded coconut over top the cake and serve.
NOTE: Store the cake covered at room temperature. I’ve found that refrigerating it hardens the frosting and kills the beautiful shine.
