Coconut Pineapple Cake

 

The Duncan Hines Dolly Parton coconut cake mix has become a recent favorite of mine and I'm finding even more ways to incorporate it into my baking.  I wanted to thank a friend for a recent act of kindness and I thought the cake would be a nice and delicious gift.   This time I took a tropical turn and made a Coconut Pineapple Cake.  Who doesn't love the combination of coconut and pineapple?  [You have the right to remain silent if you don't!]

 

 

The first time I made Dolly's coconut cake I filled and frosting it with cream cheese ermine frosting.  While that cake was delicious, to reduce the sweetness on this cake and let the pineapple flavor really come through, I made a small batch of vanilla pastry cream for the filling.  I then added homemade pineapple compote which was spread between the cake layers.  On top of the pastry cream layer I also applied another thin layer of the pineapple compote.  You can never have enough pineapple in my book.

Lightly sweetened mascarpone whipped cream enveloped the cake which was then finished with a flurry of dessicated coconut.  As I was gifting the cake on Easter Sunday I added a few holiday themed sprinkles.  I can attest that this coconut pineapple cake not only looks good, it tastes amazing!

Coconut Cake

Pastry Cream (I made 1/2 the recipe) 

Pineapple Compote (recipe below)

Mascarpone Whipped Cream (recipe below)

 

 

Pineapple Compote Filling

10 oz frozen pineapple

5 tablespoons sugar

4 teaspoons cornstarch

Combine pineapple, sugar, and cornstarch in bowl. Microwave, covered, until bubbling and thickened, about 6 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Mash with potato masher. Let cool completely. 

 

 

Mascarpone Whipped Cream 

8 oz mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 packet (10g) whipped cream stabilizer powder, optional

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold

Place mascarpone cheese, sugar, stabilizer powder (if using), vanilla extract, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream in slow, steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks.