Pineapple Cream Cake with Toasted Coconut

This cake has some seriously tropical, summery flavours! It’s a slightly more grown-up version of the classic pineapple pastry that I hope you ate if you were a 90s kid growing up in India. This particular one is a little more buttery, a little more moist and layered with freshly whipped cream, tinned pineapple for that old-school effect, and toasted coconut to finish. YUM.

I made it again to refresh the photos and this time added pineapple to the batter as well, for more flavour. The filling of cream and pineapple is a little restrained so that it’s easier to cut, but you can add more to the top for sure. The cake is a little messy to slice and eat, but in the best possible way 🙂 Top with more pineapple and syrup if you want (of course you do), and shove big forkfuls of cake and cream straight into your mouth, without pausing. This is basically the dessert we all need right now. It’s so classic but so flavourful!

The cake recipe is the same as this one, scaled down to fit a loaf pan but still make a cake that’s tall enough to slice into two layers. You can make this as a round layer cake too, if you use the original proportions. I use tinned, pre-cut pineapple because it’s just more convenient, plus the syrup is lovely to spread onto the lower half of the cake to help moisten it just before spreading cream on top. And the flavour is most nostalgic with tinned, not fresh pineapple so I highly recommend going this route!

The whipped cream is unsweetened, though you can add sugar if you like. For me, the cake plus the tinned pineapple was sweet enough. The cream is light, airy, and rounds all of the flavours off perfectly! I hope you love it as much as I do!

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Pineapple Cream Cake with Toasted Coconut

Small-batch buttery layer cake with pineapple, fresh whipped cream and toasted coconut!

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Makes: 8 slices

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Ingredients

  

For the cake

• 100 gms butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup caster sugar (95 gms)
• 2 eggs, at room temperature (see notes)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 gms)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt, if using unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup chopped tinned pineapple (from 3 to 4 slices)

For the filling and topping

• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (25 gms, if frozen, thaw before using)
• 1/3 cup chilled whipping cream (80 ml, see notes)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped tinned pineapple (from 5 to 6 slices)
• 1/3 cup pineapple syrup, from the tin itself

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 175 C. Line a 9x5 inch loaf tin with non-stick baking paper and set aside.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer on low speed till light and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla beat well till combined.
• Sift in the flour and baking powder, and use a spatula to fold the batter together until combined. Be gentle and don't over-mix the batter. Use a hand mixer on low speed to smoothen it out if needed.
• Finally, fold in the chopped pineapple. If a spoon or two of syrup goes in along with it, that's fine 🙂
• Bake for 30 to 35 mins, until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean and the top is golden-brown. The cake does not rise super tall.
• Let the cake cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then use the paper overhang to lift it out and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
• In the meantime, spread the coconut out in a single layer on a baking tray lined with a silicone mat. Bake in a preheated oven at 175 C for 8 to 10 minutes until browned, stirring the coconut often to ensure it doesn't burn because the edges will brown faster than the center. Set aside to cool completely.
• To make the filling, beat the cream and vanilla with a hand mixer on medium high speed until it forms soft peaks, and keep it chilled till needed. I didn't feel the cream needed to be sweetened, but if you prefer, add 1 to 2 tablespoons caster sugar before you whip it.
• Slice the cake horizontally with a long serrated knife and gently lift and place the top half on a separate plate. Spoon half of the pineapple syrup (about 3 tablespoons) over the lower half of the cake, spreading it around evenly. The idea is to moisten it but not make it soggy. Now spread about a quarter of the whipped cream over it, followed by half the pineapple pieces. Don't crowd this layer with too much pineapple, the cake becomes harder to cut. See photos below.
• Now gently turn the top half of the cake over, spoon the remaining syrup on the underside, then flip it back and place on the lower half of the cake, pressing it down gently to help it stick to the cream and pineapple.
• Spread the remaining whipped cream all over the top and sides of the cake, then sprinkle the toasted coconut all over the surface. Add more coconut on the sides of the cake too. Decorate the top with the remaining pineapple pieces.
• Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes to give it a chance to set. Then slice into 8 thick pieces using a sharp knife for the neatest cuts. All said and done, the fruit and cream makes for a messy-in-a-good-way cake for sure!
• Store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, letting the cake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating as butter cakes firm up in the fridge. Personally I think this cake is best on the day it's made because the cream consistency changes once stored in the fridge, but it'll still taste great. Drizzle individual pieces with leftover pineapple syrup, trust me, it's so good 🙂 Happy baking!

Notes

*Watch this cake come together on Instagram!

*Tinned pineapple is pretty sweet so the cream and coconut are unsweetened for a good balance. However, you can add some sugar to the cream and use sweetened coconut if you prefer.

*I used Delmonte tinned pineapple slices here, but you can also use their "tidbits" which come pre-chopped and are very convenient.

*I use Amul whipping cream (usually find it on Big Basket), and usually keep it in the fridge. Make sure the cream you use is chilled at least 24 hours and that the bowl and beaters are chilled for 30 minutes before you begin, especially in a warm kitchen.

*For a similar eggless cake, see this recipe. I have not tried a pineapple version of it, let me know how it goes if you try!

*To make a large layer cake, 9 inches in diameter, use this recipe for the batter and double the filling and topping above.

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