Nanny's Famous Coconut-Pineapple Cake

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups butter softened
• 3 cups cake flour sifted
• 6 ounce coconut flakes frozen thawed flaked
• 5 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract 
• 0.5 cup lemon lime soda soft
• 10 servings mint leaves fresh
• 15.3 ounce pineapple rings crushed undrained canned
• 3 cups sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Equipment

• oven
• hand mixer
• wax paper

Directions

1. Grease bottom and sides of 3 (9-inch) round cakepans; line bottoms with wax paper. Grease and flour wax paper.
2. Drain pineapple, reserving 3/4 cup juice.
3. Remove 1/4 cup reserved juice for Cream Cheese Frosting, and reserve crushed pineapple for Pineapple Filling.
4. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well.
5. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
6. Combine 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice and soft drink.
7. Add flour to butter mixture alternately with juice mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in extracts.
8. Pour into prepared cakepans.
9. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Remove from pans immediately; cool on wire racks.
11. Spread 3/4 cup Pineapple Filling between cake layers and remaining filling on top of cake.
12. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting on sides of cake; pipe border around top, if desired.
13. Sprinkle with coconut.
14. Garnish, if desired.
15. *For lemon-lime soft drink, we used 7-Up. Its specific level of carbonation makes the layers rise beautifully.