Pineapple Pastry (eggless)
Do you ever miss being a kid? You know, that time in your life where you were content with cake smothered all over your face? Yup, I feel like I’m still in that time and if you’re here, reading this, chances are you’re pretty content with cake smothered all over your face too :D That’s why are are friends xx
I have quite literally grown up on pineapple pastry. It’s just one of those cakes that you always get in the local bakeries back home- it’s pretty timeless I must say. And rightfully so because it’s glorious in its simple, humble ways. Now, obviously I have gourmet-ed this up because, well, what else would I do?! However, it is still the same familiarity, nostalgia and simplicity that makes this a wonderful, timeless delight :)
A simple moist vanilla sponge, soaked with some Malibu , fresh pineapple jam & good ol’ whipped cream- as classic as it gets really ;)
Full disclosure: when I was setting out to create this recipe, I wasn’t intending the result that you see before you right now. I just wanted to do something pineapple-y. Pretty descriptive, aren’t I? Lol
No, but seriously, I just wanted a layered pineapple dessert. And then I had a conversation with my mum and she got pretty excited about the idea of a pineapple dessert (adorable!). Now, my mum doesn’t get excited (or at least expressively shows excitement) very often so naturally I had to do this- for her. Might I add, I’m pretty happy with how this turned out. It’s nothing fancy, and yet it is. It’s comforting, it’s familiar- it’s nostalgia of my childhood in a nutshell :)
What’s in the dessert?
The vanilla sponge used in this recipe is based on my mom’s vanilla cake recipe- which is the literal OG recipes of all time and the very reason why I got into baking in the first place. So you can imagine how emotional this recipe is to me.
We’ve got some deeee-licious homemade pineapple jam there, which is, I’m not even exaggerating- the most delicious pineapple jam you’ve ever eaten. It’s fresh, it’s sweet, it’s flavourful, it’s juicy- IDK about you, but I’m not looking for much more from my jam :D
And of course, some classic whipped chantilly. I have added some grated tonka bean in there because I was curious to see how pineapple & tonka bean pair. The verdict?- Pretty amazing actually. If you’ve never heard of tonka bean before, it’s quite the controversial ingredient. You can read up all about it here. It’s kinda hard to describe the flavour of tonka bean because it is quite unique- and it is this uniqueness that makes it so special. I’d say- very aromatic and sweet, and you can taste blends of vanilla, almond and cinnamon- at least that’s what my professional trained palette can infer :)
How to not screw this dessert up?
Controversial sub-heading, but if I got your attention- mission accomplished! It’s actually not a terribly difficult dessert, but I want to make sure you’re nailing this dessert. So here are my hot tips:
A very simple and basic mistake (not so much a mistake, but an inefficient method really) most bakers do is that they bake their sponges in deep baking tins and then slice them horizontally to get more layers. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it is not the most efficient way to go about it. That’s why, this recipe calls for baking your sponge in a shallow baking tray and then cut into three equal portions instead, to give you a flatter and more even layered cake. Plus it cuts the baking time in more than half!
Make sure you’re soaking each layer of the sponge. Soaking a sponge with some form of sugar is what helps to keep it moist as you introduce sugar into the sponge which draws moisture to itself (due to its hygroscopic properties). In this case, we are using pineapple juice and malibu- both of which contain sugar.
The key to an evenly assembled cake is consistency. That’s why I’ve given the weights of both pineapple jam & cream per layer to ensure your cake is as even as possible.
The gelatine in the cream adds stability to your cream, especially if you’re in a hot climate and ensures that your cream is not leaking everywhere. Plus you get a cleaner finish when you cut into slices.
Making a fresh pineapple jam makes a world of a difference in flavour. So don’t be lazy and make your own jam! None of the canned pineapple bullshit pls.
I guess that’s about it kids. Enjoy making this wonderful cake and eating it too :D Happy baking and I’ll see you very soon with more goodness! xx
Recipe
Makes: 15 pieces
Ingredients
For the vanilla sponge:
100 g butter, unsalted, soft at room temperature
3 tbsp castor sugar
180 g condensed milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
190 g all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
120 ml / ½ cup milk
80 ml coca cola
25g desiccated coconut
For the malibu soak:
100g malibu (if not available, sub 100g pineapple juice)
100g pineapple juice
For the pineapple jam:
400g fresh pineapple chunks
80-100g castor sugar
For the whipped chantilly:
600g heavy cream/ whipping cream
60g castor sugar
1/2 tsp tonka bean, grated (optional)
5g gelatine leaf
Method
For the vanilla sponge:
Grease a 12”x17” sheet baking tray with butter and line with parchment paper. Keep aside.
Preheat oven to 180 C.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add a pinch of salt. Keep aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add the castor sugar and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes.
Add the condensed milk and beat again until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, alternating with milk. Do not over mix the batter. Just until all the flour is incorporated.
Lastly, add in the coca cola and mix until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray and use a palette knife to spread and even out the batter. Sprinkle the desiccated coconut on top. Bake for 15-18 mins or until golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger. Let cool completely.
For the pineapple jam:
Heat pineapple chunks and sugar in a medium pot over low-medium heat.
Let cook on low heat until thick and jammy, with a few chunks still remaining. Stir every now and then to prevent the jam from sticking to the bottom and burning.
Remove from heat and let cool completely before use.
For the whipped chantilly:
Soak gelatine loaf in ice cold water for 5 minutes until soft. Squeeze the excess water and keep aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted a whisk attachment, whip 570g of the cream, sugar and tonka bean (if using) on medium speed until medium to stiff peaks.
Warm the remaining 30g of the cream and soaked gelatine in a small pot until the gelatine melts completely.
With the mixer still running on low, start pouring the cream with the gelatine into the whipping cream until just combined.
Refrigerate for 30 mins.
Assembly:
Trim the sponge 1 cm each side on the longer side. Cut the sponge into three equal portions of 12”x5” rectangles.
For the soak, combine the Malibu & pineapple juice.
With the skin side facing down, soak the sponge with the Malibu soak using a pastry brush.
Spread 125g of the pineapple jam evenly onto the sponge, using a palette knife.
Spread 150g of the whipped chantilly evenly on top of the jam, using a palette knife.
Put a layer of the sponge on top. Soak with the Malibu soak and repeat one more time, until you’ve got 3 layers of sponge and 2 layers of jam & cream.
Spread 75g of the cream on top of the sponge. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Cut into 4cmx8cm rectangles.
Pipe the leftover chantilly on individual pastries. Garnish with fresh pineapple chunks or dried pineapple chips *. Serve cold. Bon appetite!
Notes:
*- To make dried pineapple chips, Thinly slice half a pineapple. Place on a silpat and bake at 70C until completely dried- 2/3 hours.
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