Charleston Coconut Cakebread

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (about 6 ounces)
a 7-ounce jar macadamia nuts (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1-tablespoon vanilla
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-teaspoon salt

Glaze: 1/4 cup of water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup amber or dark rum 


Baking:  Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour a 10-inch (3 quart) bundt pan. Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in middle of oven, stirring occasionally and watching carefully to avoid burning, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer coconut to a bowl and cool. Spread nuts in pan and toast in middle of oven until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool nuts and chop coarse.

Beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy and beat in cream cheese. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into bowl and beat just until combined well. Stir in coconut and chopped nuts.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto rack.

Finishing:  In a small heavy saucepan bring water with sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in rum.  Brush hot glaze evenly over outside of warm cake until absorbed. Cool cake completely before topping with ice cream.