Pina Colada Cake

Pina Colada Cake

When I first tasted the intense pineapple flavor in our experimental Roasted Pineapple Jam, I just knew that I would have to incorporate it into a great dessert cake. A pina colada cake first leapt to mind and it worked out very well indeed. I took a really great vanilla cake recipe, soaked in a little dark rum, filled a couple of the layers with the roasted pineapple jam and covered the whole thing in a thick layer of coconut marshmallow frosting and garnished with a final sprinkle of toasted coconut. This is an awesome celebration cake for those who love sweet, tropical, pineapple flavor but I'll bet the coconut lovers will go wild for this one too.
You will first need to make some of our incredible Roasted Pineapple Jam.

For the vanilla cake:

Sift together and set aside:

• 1 1/2 cups cake and pastry flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

For this recipe it is very important to be sure to sift the flour very well before measuring. Flour that is too compacted can cause a denser, heavier cake. If you do not have a flour sifter, put some flour in a bowl and whisk it for a minute before spooning the flour into the measuring cup to measure. Do this for both types of flour in the recipe.

Cream together until fluffy:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar

Add, one at a time, beating well after every addition;

• 4 eggs at room temperature

Beat in:

• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Gently fold in the dry ingredients in three equal portions, alternately with

• 1 cup undiluted evaporated milk

When adding dry and wet ingredients alternately in any baking recipe, always begin and end with the dry ingredients.

Pour batter evenly into 2 well greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch it carefully, you will not want to over bake this cake, as soon as the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and let it rest in the pans for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Coconut Marshmallow Frosting

• 4 egg whites
• ¼ tsp cream of tarter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• ½ cup corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut

In a small saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer or when a teaspoonful of the mixture dropped into ice water forms a soft ball that holds its shape when cool.

Whip the egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla extract to soft peaks in a large bowl. With the mixer on medium high speed, slowly begin to pour the sugar syrup down the side of the egg white bowl in a thin continuous stream. Continue to whip the frosting until it forms stiff peaks. Finally fold the coconut in by hand.

To construct the cake you will also need:

• 2 cups roasted pineapple jam ( Find that recipe here.)
• 4 ounces dark rum
• 1/2 cup toasted coconut

Split the 2 layers of cake into 4 by cutting them in half horizontally. Each layer will get sprinkled with an ounce of the rum. Sprinkle the first layer with an ounce of the rum then spread with 1 cup of the pineapple jam, add the next cake layer, sprinkle with an ounce of rum and spread with some of the coconut frosting. Add the next layer of cake, sprinkle with another ounce of rum and spread with the other cup of pineapple jam. Add the final layer of cake, sprinkle it with with the last of the rum and then frost the top and sides with the remaining coconut frosting. Sprinkle the toasted coconut on the top and sides to garnish.