A luscious Easter dessert: Coconut Pineapple Cake

With Easter less than a week away, it's time to begin preparing the Easter menu. I'm sure many of you already have some special dishes planned, just as I have. But have you thought about dessert yet? At Easter, coconut seems to be closely connected with this special holiday. There's just something about the fluffy, light texture of coconut that stirs up our senses!

Here's a luscious layer cake that would be the hit of your Easter gathering, which is "Coconut Pineapple Cake". This cake is made of three layers of moist yellow cake, which is the traditional "1-2-3-4 Cake" recipe (1 Cup of Butter, 2 Cups of Sugar, 3 Cups of Flour, and 4 Eggs). The filling is a sweet custard-like pineapple filling and is finished with a fluffly "Seven Minute" frosting and coconut scattered all over. It's as beautiful as it is wonderful tasting!

While this cake does involve some time and work, it's well worth every bit of effort you put into it! One footnote about the cake layers: feel free to use this recipe for the cake layers with other frostings and fillings. This would go very well with most any of your favorite frostings, especially chocolate or caramel. Not a fan of pineapple? Try a lemon filling! Don't really care for egg-white based frostings? Try a buttercream instead! You can get very creative with this layer cake recipe.

Let's begin the countdown towards Easter and get our menu together! Hopefully, this cake will be your grand finale!

Coconut Pineapple Cake Recipe

Yellow Cake Layers:

  • 2 Sticks Butter, softened
  • 2 C. Sugar
  • 4 Eggs
  • 3 C. All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Tbls. Baking Powder
  • 1/4 Tsp. Salt
  • 1 C. Milk
  • 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Tsp. Almond Extract

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each; combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add alternately with milk, starting and ending with flour; add the extracts; turn batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch layer cake pans; bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until layers test done; cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Pineapple Filling:

  • 1 C. Sugar
  • 3 Tbls. All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 Eggs, beaten
  • 1 8 oz. Can Crushed Pineapple (NOT drained!)
  • 2 Tbls. Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tbls. Butter
  • 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Combine sugar and flour in a small saucepan; add remaining ingredients; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened; let cool.

Seven-Minute Frosting:

  • 1-1/2 C. Sugar
  • 1/4 C. Plus 1 Tbls. Cold Water
  • 2 Egg Whites
  • 1 Tbls. Light Corn Syrup, such as Karo
  • Dash of Salt
  • 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in top of a large double boiler (or a large bowl placed over a pot of boiling water); beat a low speed of electric mixer 30 seconds or until blended; place over boiling water and beat constantly at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes; remove from heat, add vanilla extract and continue to beat to spreading consistency, about 2 more minutes.

Have ready: 2 C. Grated Coconut (frozen or fresh)

To assemble: Place one cake layer on serving plate and spread with 1/2 of the pineapple filling; top with 1/3 of the coconut; repeat with the second layer, filling and coconut; place third layer on top and spread with frosting on top and sides; sprinkle with remaining coconut.

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