Piña Colada Cake Bites

This is a juicy recipe reminiscent of sipping cocktails by the beach...but booze free. I used my seashell bites pans from Nordic Ware, but any size cakelet is fine if you adjust the cook time. My husband said these "got destroyed" by his coworkers. This is a 5 to 6 cup recipe.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 15
• Yields: 60 Bites

Ingredients

• Cake

• 1 1⁄2 cups flour
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  tablespoon cornstarch
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
• 2  eggs
• 1  egg yolk
• 3⁄4 cup buttermilk
• 1⁄8 cup coconut oil
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons  coconut extract
• 1  tablespoon  pineapple extract
• 1  teaspoon  of imitation rum
• 15  drops  yellow food coloring (optional)

• Glaze

• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup maraschino cherry juice

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Spray your cakelet or cake bite pan wells with baking spray (not cooking spray) and use a pastry brush to make sure they have a thorough coating.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. It is best if they are at room temperature. You may need to warm the oil in the microwave.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
6. Spoon the batter into the cake bite wells and bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until they pass the "toothpick test". For larger cakelets or a loaf pan, it may take 45 minutes to be done.
7. For the glaze, combine both ingredients in a small saucepan over medium low heat and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes.
8. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes on a wire rack before attempting to remove them from their wells. These are soft cakes so they may come apart if they are still too warm. The edge of a silicone spatula may help to lift them out.
9. Use a pastry brush to gently glaze the top of each bite and allow them to dry on a wire rack for at least an hour.