Coconut pineapple cake
- 1 X 425g canned pineapple slices in juice, drained, roughly chopped
- 3 eggs
- 210g white sugar
- 1 teaspoon coconut essence (extract)
- 180g unsalted butter, melted plus extra to grease baking pan
- 200g Greek yoghurt, vanilla flavour (alternatively use plain Greek yoghurt)
- 180g 00 flour, plus 1 tablespoon to grease baking pan (alternatively use plain, all-purpose flour) – see note in step 4
- 130g desiccated coconut
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 16g Italian baking powder (such as Lievito Bertolini)
- 1 pinch salt
- 200g icing (confectioners') sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon coconut essence (extract)
- Desiccated coconut, to sprinkle over icing
Requires: 9 inch round baking pan
Preheat oven to 180°C conventional oven (356° Fahrenheit/Gas 4). Ideally use a 9 inch round Anodized Aluminum cake pan – if you don’t have one, see note for details. Grease cake pan by lightly buttering the base and sides with margarine or butter. Add a heaped tablespoon of 00 flour, then turn and shake the pan to coat the butter in flour on the sides of the baking pan.
Note: Anodized Aluminum cake pans are the ideal baking surface for any type of cake as they produce even heating. This creates the best possible rise, making you a confident baker. You can buy an Anodized Aluminum cake pan from Amazon.
Using an electric mixer or hand beater, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. With the mixer (or hand beater) running, add the egg yolks, one at a time. Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the coconut essence.
Beat in the butter, pouring a little at a time until all combined. Add one tablespoon of the Greek yoghurt at a time, continually beating until well combined.
Use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour and desiccated coconut, one tablespoon at a time.
Note: 00 is a powder-fine Italian type of flour. It is made from soft wheat varieties and is frequently used in Italian desserts and pastas. 00 flour is available in most supermarkets, Italian food stores and gourmet delicatessens.
Stir in the grated lemon zest, lemon juice and sifted baking powder. Stir in the chopped pineapple until well combined.
Pour the coconut pineapple cake mixture into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the cake pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a serving plate.
Once the cake has cooled slightly, make the coconut icing. To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a small heatproof bowl that sits well over a small saucepan. Stir in the water and coconut essence (extract) to make a soft paste off the heat. Meanwhile, 1/2-fill the saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and place the bowl with icing mixture on top of the saucepan. Stir the coconut icing until it is soft enough to spread. Spread the icing over the cake with the back of a spoon or metal spatula. Sprinkle desiccated coconut over the icing – buon appetito!
