by queenofmean

Created on: June 09, 2008

Pina Colada Cake Serves 16

This cake is so light and airy that it melts in your mouth! I usually make this cake in the summer or spring (Easter is the best time as I dye the coconut in pastels). This is a very easy recipe that will get the crowd ooooohing and ahhhhhing.

You will need;

For cake:
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
4 3/4 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1 cups Coco Lopez (cream of coconut), mixed and strained
3/4 cup whole milk
1 tbs coconut extract
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 large egg whites

For topping:

2 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup Coco Lopez, mixed and strained
1/4 cup powdered sugar sifted
1/2 tbs coconut extract
1 can crushed pineapple, stranded (reserve juice), and divided in 3rds
2 cups flake coconut, toasted
16 mariscino cherries with stems (optional)
1/2 cup rum (optional)

Equipment:

mixing bowls
9" round cake pan
electric mixer
pastry brush
pastry bag
cake spatula
cake knife

For cake:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour pan(s).

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In small bowl beat Coco Lopez, strain thoughly. Take out what is needed for cake, add coconut extract and milk.

In mixer beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add 1/2 of flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add milk mixture and beat until just combined. Add remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined, then raise speed to moderately high and beat 10 seconds. Transfer to large bowl.

In clean mixing bowl use whisk attachment and beat egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.

Fold 1/3 of egg whites into batter to lighten. Gently fold in remaining 2/3 of egg whites until just incorporated. Pour into greased pans and bake for approximately 45 min. or until cake top are springy to touch and testers come out clean. Let cake cool completely (overnight is not a bad option).

For topping:

In large mixing bowl add whipping cream, Coco Lopez, coconut extract, and powdered sugar use wisk attachment and mix on high speed until stiff peaks form.

In seperate bowl add rum and remaining pineapple juice, set aside.

To assemble cake:

Cut cake into 3 even layers, put bottom layer on flat surface cake plate, use pasty brush and lightly brush on rum mixture you will do this on all 3 layers of cake.

Fill pastry bag half full and make a border around the edges of the cake layer. Now fill in the center of the cake layer with the crushed pineapple (add as needed not to much). then add a thin layer of cream just to cover the top of the pineapple. Repeat this step with the next layer.

Deco of cake:

Ice the cake with the cream save some of the cream for the deco on top of cake. Lightly cover the sides of the cake with the toasted coconut. Use the remaining cream To make a decorative boarder around the top edge of the cake. Fill the middle of the cake with the remaining crushed pineapple. For the finishing touch add the 16 cherries to the boarder to represent each piece.

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