PINEAPPLE - FRESH CREAM CAKE

The photo is quite misleading. There's not a hint of pineapple seen on top. I wanted to add a dash of red .That's why the raspberry toppings. There are small pineapple slices in between the layers. And the layers are soaked with pineapple syrup. I learnt to make this in a cake baking class , I attended , soon after marriage. 

Making everything ahead and assembling the cake makes it much more easier.

INGREDIENTS

1. one 6 inch vanilla sponge cake
2. pineapple pieces and pineapple syrup
3. whipped cream
4. frozen raspberries for topping

Other things required:

1. spatula
2. cup of boiling water
3. Thin knife for smoothing out the icing
4. kitchen towel
5. piping bag
6. tall glass
7. star tip for frosting
8. strips of parchment paper

METHOD

• Prepare the sponge cake and keep aside.
• Prepare the pineapple syrup.

PINEAPPLE SYRUP


INGREDIENTS

1. 1 cup chopped pineapple
2. 1/2 cup water
3. 2 Tbsp. sugar

METHOD

• Put everything in a saucepan . Bring to a boil and then simmer boil for 2 minutes. Store in the fridge for later use.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• This can be made way ahead and refrigerated.
• Just before assembling the cake , sieve the juice of the syrup . Squeeze the pineapple pieces as much as you can. Keep the pineapple pieces and syrup separate.
• This yields more than 1/3 cup of syrup.

MAKING THE WHIPPED CREAM:

Ingredients

1. 1 cup heavy whipping cream
2. 2 Tbsp granulated/confectioners sugar
3. 1/8 tsp salt
4. 1 tsp corn flour(optional)
5. 1/2 tsp vanilla essence(don't skip)
6. 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method

• The whipping cream should be chilled in the fridge overnight.
• Pour the whipping cream in a bowl and using the cake beaters , beat until volume increases slightly. Stop beating , add the rest of the ingredients and beat until light and fluffy.

  

  
  

  

• Scrape the sides with a spatula. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to use.
  

• For stabilized whipped cream , mix 1 tsp gelatin with 1 Tbsp. cold water. Let the gelatin bloom, may be about 5 minutes. When you start to whip the cream , microwave the gelatin in the microwave for 5 seconds. This mixture will be very hot . Let it come to room temperature. Then add it to the cream while whipping.

CUTTING THE SPONGE CAKE INTO 2 LAYERS

• I use a long serrated knife to cut the cake horizontally into layers.
  
  

• Run the knife all around the horizontal center of the cake . It's like making an outline of where you are going to cut.
• After you have run your knife around the cake , start cutting the cake  horizontally around the center along the knife-drawn line. As you slice the cake , simultaneously keep rotating the cake. This way , by the time  the knife reaches the middle of the cake , the cake will be horizontally sliced in half. Move one half to another plate.
  

  

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  

SOAKING THE CAKE WITH THE PINEAPPLE SYRUP

• Keep the syrup  ready beside the layered cakes. Using a brush or a spoon , dab the cakes with the syrup.  Start with the outer edges and work into the center of each layer.Soak the sides of the cakes too. Make sure not to oversaturate the layers with syrup.
• Let the syrup soak in for 5 to 10 minutes , then proceed with the filling and layering. If the syrup hasn't fully soaked in , it'll make it more difficult to spread the filling, so make sure to give it enough time.
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE WITH THE WHIPPED CREAM

• Take the prepared whipped cream from the fridge and keep it ready , along with soaked cakes.
• Keep a cup of boiling water and a knife ready , for making the icing smooth.
• Use a kitchen towel to wipe the knife dry.
• Keep the pineapple pieces ready.
• Line a cake stand with 4 strips of cut parchment paper.
  

  

• Place a layer of the soaked cake on the lines stand.
  

• Using a spatula , drop a blob of icing on the cake.
  

  

• Dip the knife in the hot water , wipe dry with the towel and use the knife to smoothen the frosting .
  
  
  
  

• Top the creamed cake with pineapple pieces from the pineapple syrup. I like to use all of the pieces. 
  

• Place the top layer of the cake. Align it with the bottom layer as you place the top. Any slight misalignments will be covered up by the cream.
  

• Put a blob of the cream and smoothen it out.
  
  
  
  

• Now using the spatula , apply cream on the sides of the cake.
  
  
  
  

• Use the knife to smooth out the frosting on the sides and on the top. This is my least favorite part of frosting the cake: The attempt to get the picture-perfect look. But then, the best thing about homemade things, is that you don't have to get professional with it.
• I have used an icing comb in an attempt to give it a neat look without much effort.
  
  
  
  

• I piped 5 rosettes(my favorite) , using a piping bag and topped each with a frozen raspberry.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  






• I have used an 8-inch cake pan to cover the cake. Refrigerate for atleast 2 hours or keep it overnight. The cake tastes best when refrigerated for at least 24 hours. 
• Before serving , take out the 4 strips of parchment paper . Using  a paper towel to clean the cake base , to give it a neat look. 
• Slice and serve. Don't keep it outside for more than an hour. The whipped cream will start to "weep".