Pineapple Pecan Cake...Hold the Dairy

"It's gonna be legend-... wait for it... and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY!"  - Barney on "How I Met Your Mother"

New Year's Resolutions, we all make 'em...and we all break 'em. I learned long ago to keep my list short and realistic. This year along with exercise regularly (ha!), be more patient with others and a few other run of the mill resolutions, I threw in that I would try and consume less dairy. Now this isn't because I dislike dairy or think it's unhealthy (it's quite the opposite...I LOVE dairy!) but rather because I'm lactarded. Most people who are lactose-intolerant get super gassy (yes TMI, I know), but I don't. I get painful stomach cramps and severe nausea/vomiting. My body just doesn't want to digest it. Wait! I know what you're going to say--Lactaid pills. Yeah, yeah, I'm familiar with them. I have a love-hate relationship with Lactaid pills. I love them when they work and hate them when they don't. For me, they only work about 30% of the time, so I feel like I'm playing Russian Roulette when I take them. Despite my best of intentions, I'm sure within a day or two my resolve will crumble and I'll end up eating some dairy...and I'll get sick. *Sigh* I can't help it, there's just too many good foods out there containing dairy!  But in the meantime, it's a new year and a fresh slate so I'll at least make one recipe that's not full of butter, milk or cheese. This pineapple pecan cake by A Southern Grace is the perfect cake to serve when having guests over for coffee and it's dairy-free. I gave this cake to Mr. S. to serve to his buddies on poker night...I was told that it was a hit.

( Psst! This cake is great by itself but if you have no dairy-issues, you could put it over the top by throwing on a cream cheese frosting. )


Pineapple Pecan Cake ( from A Southern Grace )

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup chopped pecans

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained


Instructions

- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 13x9-inch pan or 2 9-inch round pans.

- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and pecans.

- Combine eggs, vanilla, and pineapple; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

- Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake for until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean--32-38 minutes for a 13x9-incher or 24-30 minutes for the rounds.

- Cool completely on a wire rack.