pina colada cake

There was a time when I used to love Pina Coladas, when I lived in the Middle East that is. It was just the kind of drink on a lazy weekend in the summer, when temperatures dared to cross the 50C mark. Sitting pretty at the goan bar at Marco Polos (I think that was the name, it was eons ago) sipping away on Pina Coladas without a care in the world listening to Caje strumming away some or the other 80s ballad.

Speaking of Caje, there is another Caje I know who could also strum a good note or so. He and his wife were the first people to taste my pineapple upside down cake because it was the first time I had attempted it. A few weeks ago when I put a pic of myself dressed in Chef's jacket on facebook, he was one of few million people to wish me luck and actually reminded me of the cake that turned out delicious more out of fluke than anything else.

This recipe however, I decided to make a Pina Colada cake, a riff of the classic Upside Down Cake, which of course means I have added alcohol (just a wee bit, you dont have to if you dont want to) and coconut cream instead of sour cream.  Dense, moist and unforgivably delicious. 

pina coloda cake
ingredients
topping

• 250 g dark brown sugar 
• 125 g unsalted butter
• 1 can pineapple slices (approx 500 gms) drained.

cake
creaming:

• 185 g brown sugar
• 250 g unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs

dry:

• 375 g plain flour
• 6 tbs almond meal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

liquid

• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 125 g coconut milk
• 60 g dark rum

method
topping

1. On medium heat, combine sugar and butter, until sugar is dissolved.  Once sugar melts, DO NOT STIR. 
2. Pour mixture into a 9 inch cake pan and arrange pineapple slices in a single layer in concentric circles or any pattern that suits you.
3. Set aside.

cake

1. Preheat oven to 160C. 
2. In a bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients to incorporate. 
3. In a jug, whisk together the liquid ingredients to combine.
4. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and creamy.  
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. 
6. Add dry ingredients alternately with the liquid ingredients beating well after each addition. 
7. If you have any left over pineapple, dust lightly with flour and gently fold into the batter after everything else has been added.
8. Pour cake batter over caramel and pineapple in pan.
9. Bake cake for 60 - 75 minutes or until a tester/skewer comes out clean.  But do remember to check at 45 minutes. 
10. Cool cake in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto a platter. 
11. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of icecream. Yumm...