Imagine yourself lying on the sand and palm trees swaying as you take a big bite of tropical piña colada cake. The classic, ethereal combination of sweet pineapple and refreshing coconut comes together again in this boozy poké cake. The easy-to-make pineapple cake is drenched in sweetened coconut cream and topped with a smooth coconut-pineapple pudding. This tart is sure to be a popular summer dessert at a barbecue or pool party. Listen to a lot of Rupert Holmes while making this dessert (or not, since you’ll have “Escape” stuck in your head anyway).
What’s in the piña colada cake?
This cake starts with an easy-to-mix yellow oil-based sponge cake. Instead of milk, water or sour cream, the liquid component is a can of undrained crushed pineapple. After baking the pineapple cake in a 13 x 9-inch pan, you pierce the hot cake on all sides with a wooden spoon, fork or skewer. Imagine a garden plot ready to receive seeds. But instead of seeds, this cake receives a mix of classic piña colada ingredients: coconut cream, dark rum and sour lime juice. After cooling completely, the cake is topped with a wonderfully moist filling of a coconut pudding mix and canned pineapple, both incorporated with whipped cream. After cooling and sprinkling with lime zest, toasted coconut flakes and a good handful of cherries, this cake is ready to serve chilled.
Does the piña colada tart contain alcohol?
This recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of dark rum in the sauce. Since the alcohol is not eliminated during cooking, the rum can be omitted or substituted with a teaspoon of rum extract.
Can the piña colada tart be prepared in advance?
Piña colada cakes are ideal to prepare in advance, as they need time to cool. This cake can be prepared 24 hours in advance. Simply top with lime zest, coconut crunch and red maraschino cherries before serving.
YIELDS: 10 – 12 serving(s)
PREP TIME: 20 mins
TOTAL TIME: 4 hrs
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- Nonstick baking spray with flour
- 3 large eggs
- 2 c. granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 c. vegetable oil
- 3 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice
FOR THE SOAK:
- 1 15-ounce can cream of coconut
- 2 tbsp. dark rum
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
FOR THE TOPPING:
- 3 c. cold heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1/3 c. confectioner’s sugar
- 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice
- 1 3.4-ounce package coconut cream instant pudding mix
- Toasted coconut chips, for garnish
- Maraschino cherries, for garnish
- Lime zest, for garnish
Directions
- For the cake: Prepare a 13×9-inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl for about 1 minute (you can use a whisk or a hand blender). Add the oil and whisk well to fully combine.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Add 1/2 of the crushed pineapple and whisk to combine completely. Add another 1/3 of the flour, then the remaining crushed pineapple, and the remaining flour mixture; whisking well to combine between each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and fold in any unincorporated bits. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
- Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Loosely place foil over the top of the cake to prevent excess browning. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven. Using a wooden spoon or a fork, poke holes all over the cake.
- For the soak: Whisk together the cream of coconut, rum, and lime juice. Slowly pour the cream of coconut mixture over the top of the warm cake. Allow to cool completely.
- For the topping: Using a hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 1 ½ cups of cream in a large bowl on medium-high speed until thickened. Add the confectioner’s sugar and whip until firm peaks form. In a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, drain the crushed pineapple and reserve the liquid.
- In another large bowl, whisk the remaining 1 ½ cups of cream, the pudding mix, and the liquid drained from the can of pineapple until smooth. Fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture in 3 additions until evenly combined. Fold in the drained pineapple.
- Gently spread the topping over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- To serve, sprinkle the cake with the toasted coconut and decorate with maraschino cherries and lime zest, if desired.
