Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling

White Coconut Cake

1 box of white cake mix 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 small box coconut flavored instant pudding mix

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup water or milk

¼ cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons LorAnn coconut emulsion (optional)

4 large egg whites (or 3 eggs)

1 cup sour cream

Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix together to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.

 

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease and flour three 8-inch OR two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Pour cake batter into pans. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes. Cakes are done when they slightly pull away from edges of pan and center bounces back when gently touched. Cool the cakes in pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack. 

Allow cakes to cool completely. When cooled, wrap in plastic wrap until you are ready to level and torte them. The wrapped cakes can be stored at room temperature for up to two days or in the freezer for longer.

Level and torte the cakes: Most cakes have at least a slight domed top. Use a long serrated knife to cut off the domes of each cake. Cut off as little as possible to maintain the height of the cake. If you made two 9-inch cakes, torte each cake to make four layers of cake. Torting the cake is splitting the cake in half to make two cake layers out of one. Use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to split each cake in half. Watch carefully to keep your knife level and parallel with your cake and working surface. If you made three 8-inch cakes, you do not need to torte them.

Fill and stack the cakes: Fill a large piping bag with Coconut Buttercream Frosting. Use a large round tip or just the opening of the bag. Place the bottom layer of your cake on a cake board or plate. Pipe a ring of frosting around the top edge of the cake. This makes a dam to keep the filling in place. Spread half of the Pineapple Filling on the cake, inside the dam. Top with the next layer of cake. If you are making a four-layer cake, frost this layer with coconut buttercream. Sprinkle on some shredded coconut and use the spreading knife to gently mix the coconut into the frosting. Top with the next layer of cake. Pipe a frosting dam around the top edge and spread the remaining pineapple filling on the cake inside the dam. Top with the last layer of cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator or freezer for about 20 minutes to firm up the buttercream. This will make it easier to frost and decorate the outside of the cake. If you want to chill or freeze the cake longer than about 20 minutes, wrap with plastic wrap. 

Frost and decorate the cake: After the cake is chilled, frost the sides and top with coconut buttercream. Coat the sides of the frosted cake with shredded coconut.

Coconut Buttercream Frosting

2 cups butter, softened room temperature

4 tablespoons cream cheese or 2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla 

½ teaspoon LorAnn’s coconut emulsion (optional)

6 cups powdered sugar

(2 to 3 cups shredded sweetened coconut to use later)

Place butter, cream cheese, vanilla, coconut emulsion, and about half of the powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Beat until very smooth. Add remaining powdered sugar and beat for several minutes until smooth and fluffy.

Pineapple Filling

½ cup sugar

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple

3 tablespoons butter

In a saucepan combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Add pineapple, including juice, and mix well. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring for approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Mixture will thicken and lose its milky look. Remove from heat, and stir in butter. Allow mixture to cool. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Makes enough to fill a three-layer cake.