Three-Layer Pineapple Cake

Over the past couple months I've been really into cakes. I've never really been a cake lover either, I'm more of a pie girl. But lately! Lately I've just had an itch at making these sweet, layered, beauties. It is a well known fact on this blog that anything coconut-y (or with the potential to become coconut-y) is an immediate favourite in my books. Add that hint of coconut flavour to a moist, pineapple cake, smothered in whipped cream and you've got yourself a winner. I found this recipe on one of my regular browses through Pinterest and as soon as I got home that night I headed straight to the kitchen and began baking away! Though there are quite a few steps involved, this cake comes out stunning and delicious. I'll be surprised if it's not the best cake you've ever had. Here's my take on the three-layer pineapple cake:

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon coconut extract

3/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare 3- 8 inch cake pans, greased and lined with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and sugars on medium speed, until creamy. Add in the vegetable oil and coconut extract. Gradually add in the yogurt and dry mixture, alternating between the two until just combined. Gently fold in the drained, crushed pineapple. Evenly distribute the batter between the cake pans, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

For the filling:

20 oz can crushed pineapple

1.5 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoon water

In a small saucepan, heat the pineapple, sugar and water, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick.

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 dark rum

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. When the sugar has evaporated, remove from heat. Allow to cool and stir in the rum.

2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup icing sugar

Whip the cream and icing sugar together until stiff peaks form. Allow to chill.

3/4 cup toasted coconut

Once the cakes have completely cooled, you can begin assembling the cake. Starting with one cake as the base, soak the top of the cake with the rum syrup. Next gently spread a few tablespoons of the crushed pineapple mixture on top. Spread about 3/4 cup of whipped cream on top and lightly dust with toasted coconut. Continue these layers until your cake is completely assembled. Allow the cake to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. For serving, gently saw with a serrated knife, making sure not to crush the cake. 

I know this cake will be the perfect summer dessert and am already dreaming up some cupcake versions of it to bring to parties and BBQs!  

Foolproof Pumpkin Pie

Well it's the end of Thanksgiving weekend here in the Great White North, which really only means one thing - pie! Though my weekend was spent with papers and books spread across the kitchen table in preparation for midterms this week, I am thankful that I was able to do said studying up at the cottage surrounding by trees, fresh air and my family.

I've never made pie from scratch before and this year I decided to give it a go rather than ordering from our usual bakery. Having glanced through this book so many times at my friend's house and at work, I decided to get myself a copy and put to test her foolproof pumpkin pie recipe. Ina was not kidding, it really was a simple recipe to follow and was a great addition to the end of our turkey dinner (though I ate fish). The book also includes a basic pie crust and rum whipped cream recipe, but I decided to use the crust recipe on the back of my Crisco tin instead. Here's the recipe for Ina Garten's foolproof pumpkin pie filling:

Ingredients

1 15oz can of pumpkin puree (appx. 2 cups)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons dark rum

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place your unbaked crust in the bottom of an 11-inch pie pan, and cover with parchment paper and dried beans (we actually used a bunch of muffin liners and river rocks, it worked okay?). Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans, prick the bottom with a fork and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, watch for browning.

Reduce the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the pumpkin puree, brown and white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, eggs, cream milk and rum with a whisk. Pour the mixture into your pie dish and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a knife comes out clean. Allow it to cool completely and serve with fresh whipped cream.


We've been enjoying the taste of pumpkin all weekend! We had some leftover crust and filling so we also made some mini pumpkin tarts in a muffin tin as well - delish! I'd have this breakfast, lunch, dinner and every snack in between if I could, it's really that good. Enjoy with loved ones, a warm fire and a good movie - three things that will definitely ensure you have a happy thanksgiving.