ISO Pineapple Layer Cake recipe

[JamericanDiva]

Help! Client would like a pineapple layer cake. I've used eGullet's search feature and "nada!" I asked her if maybe she would like a pineapple upside down cake. She said no, an actual pineapple cake. So I even went a step further... how about a white or yellow cake with pineapple filling and/or icing. She instead would like an actual pineapple flavored cake with whatever icing I want to use. I know how to make decent yellow and white cakes, so I'm wondering about how much crushed pineapple I can use to make the cake a pineapple cake. Because it's going to be a layer cake, it shouldn't be too dense either. Any ideas from the pastry gurus out there? I am currently using Dede Wilson's recipes for yellow and white cakes, although I've tried the ones from the Whimsical Bakehouse.

The recipe for a 6 inch yellow cake requires:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

pinch salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

More than likely, she'll probably want a 9 inch layer cake which requires:

3 cups cake flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/3 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

If you can point me in the right direction, that would be appreciated as well. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!!!!

[JeanneCake]

Carole Walter's Great Cakes book has a recipe for Pineapple Chiffon Cake. It calls for baking in an angel food pan, but if you have the time to play around with it, perhaps it can work in regular cake pans. I've never made this particular cake, so I can't offer any suggestions, just the recipe if you don't have the book.

Her recipe has the pineapple in the cake, where a lot of other pineapple cakes have a pineapple filling between yellow or white cake layers and a marshmellow fluffy icing.

[glossyp]

You would need to experiment with proportions but substituting pineapple juice for some or all of the liquid will work. My mother used to do this but I don't recall the ratio.

[onehsancare]

I Googled "pineapple cake" and got lots of hits. The first one:

CAKE:

2 eggs

1 can crushed pineapple in juice -- 20 oz

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup walnuts -- chopped

Combine. 350. Ungreased pan

I bet there's a recipe out there in googleland that matches your client's vision.

[BettyK]

Carole Walter's Great Cakes book has a recipe for Pineapple Chiffon Cake.  It calls for baking in an angel food pan, but if you have the time to play around with it, perhaps it can work in regular cake pans.  I've never made this particular cake, so I can't offer any suggestions, just the recipe if you don't have the book.

Her recipe has the pineapple in the cake, where a lot of other pineapple cakes have a pineapple filling between yellow or white cake layers and a marshmellow fluffy icing.

←

I'ts been a while but I've made that cake and it was "moist and delicious" just like the author stated.

[middydd]

Pineapple Cake

This cake is a nice, moist yellow cake flavoured with pineapple. The original had a brown sugar, pecan, coconut topping on a 9 by 13 inch cake but I'd imagine it would make layers nicely.

1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Combine dry ingredients, set aside.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, beat smooth. Add dry ingredients alternately with the pineapple juice. Beat after each addition until just combined. Fold in pineapple. Spread in greased and floured pan (or pans).

The baking time for a 9 by 13 in the original recipe was 30 to 35 minutes. Layers, I guess you'd just have to watch and test.

Frosting ideas might be sweetened whipped cream with pineapple folded in or caramel frosting sprinkled with pecans and coconut.

[ludja]

Somehow a not overly sweet cream cheese frosting seems like it would work well with this. I picture the cake being pretty sweet and the cream cheese would tend to counteract this a bit.

If I was trying it for the first time I would probably make a plain cream cheese frosting, but I am curious how a citrus-flavored (lime, lemon or orange) version would be with it.

[JamericanDiva]

Thanks everyone for all of your helpful feedback and input.

Onehsancare, I checked google as well... not sure what I put in, but I was getting a lot of box cake variations or Pineapple upside down cake. I think I got the recipe you posted as well. I've also noticed that the recipe you posted doesn't call for vanilla. Is that intentional? I guess I was looking for one that was close to my recipe. I will nonetheless try the one you've posted as well as the one contributed by middydd as I've got time to work on it. I'll have to look out for that Carole Walters book too. (Whoops! I almost forgot the part where JeanneCake said she'd give me the Carole Walters recipe. "Yes, Please!" )

The cream cheese frosting might actually work, considering that this person told me that they can't do nuts of any kind and even have reactions to coconut (so that tasty ingredient has to be omitted.) Ludja, you've got my creative juices flowing with a citrus type cream cheese frosting or maybe even a ginger cream cheese frosting. Hmm... time to get into my "laboratory." Thanks again, everyone!!! Once I get the Carole Walters recipe from JeanneCake, I'll have a bake off of the three recipes provided and get back to you guys.

Edited July 6, 2005 by JamericanDiva (log)