Pineapple Cake

This past Sunday I did one of my favorite things to do on a Sunday, I had dinner at my parent's house. Of course I offered to bring the dessert. I wanted to bake something sweet, scrumptious, and summery (alliteration much?). I found this Pineapple Cake recipe from Cookie Madness. The topping looks too good to pass up, doesn't it? Well, it did not dissappoint. For the cake, I tried the Amazing Vanilla Buttermilk White Cake from My Sister's Kitchen. The cake was great, I will definitely use it again for layer cakes, very moist, dense and firm. The topping was very sweet and tasty, but the pineapple taste did not come through as much as I would have liked. Is there such a thing as Pineapple Extract? A quick google search confirms, yes there is. Maybe I should add some next time. Wait! I just had a great idea! Caramelized Pineapple slices on the top! I am not done with this cake yet. I WILL try again. Until then, here's round one...

Vanilla Buttermilk Cake

from My Sister's Kitchen

4 whole large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 tsp of vanilla extract

1/4 & 1/2 cup of buttermilk

1/2 cup pineapple juice from drained crushed pineapple

3 cups of cake flour

2 cups of sugar

4 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks (8 oz) butter at room temperature

Pineapple Topping

from Cookie Maddness

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple

1 stick (4 oz) salted butter

5 oz can evaporated milk

1 ½ cups sugar

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13×9 cake pan.

Drain crushed pineapple and reserve 1/2 cup of juice. Place the eggs and the yolks in a medium bowl. Add the vanilla and 1/4 cup of buttermilk and whisk all the ingredients well. Set Aside. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a mixer; whisk to blend. Add the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk, pineapple juice and butter to the dry ingredients and with the mixer on low speed, blend together. Raise the mixer to medium speed and beat until light fluffy; 2 minutes. Add the egg mixture in three additions, scrapping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Pour batter into 9x13 pan. Bake for 28-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the topping:

Set a large (3 quart) saucepan over medium heat and add butter. When butter is about halfway melted, add evaporated milk and sugar. Continue cooking over medium heat, whisking often, until butter is completely melted mixture is hot and just beginning to simmer around the edges. Add egg yolks and continue cooking over medium, whisking constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Cook and whisk for a little over a minute, then remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Add vanilla extract and drained pineapple. Leave pineapple mixture at room temperature (still in pan) while cake continues to bake and cools. When cake is cool, pour room-temperature pineapple mixture over cake. Place in refrigerator and chill until pineapple topping sets. This will take a few hours.