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Piña Colada Angel Food Cake

Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 467kcal
Author: Shinee
Quintessential spring cake got a tropical makeover! PIÑA COLADA Angel Food Cake, bursting with tropical flavors, is here to stay.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For cake:

  • 1 cup cake flour Note 1
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) caster sugar Note 2
  • 12 egg whites Note 3
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar Note 4
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For pineapple whipped cream filling:

  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2-4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple

For coconut pineapple cream cheese frosting:

  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese Note 5
  • ¼ cup (55g) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pineapple juice from the can
  • 2 teaspoons coconut extract
  • 2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
  • Maraschino cherries optional

Instructions

To make the cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
  • Sift together cake flour and ¾ cup of sugar.
  • In a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy on a low speed.
  • Add cream of tartar and salt and continue to beat, gradually increasing the speed to high.
  • When the egg whites get whiter, add remaining ¾ cup of sugar one tablespoon at a time.
  • Add pure vanilla extract and continue to beat on high speed until hard peaks form.
  • Transfer the whipped egg whites into a large bowl.
  • Add flour/sugar mixture and carefully mix everything together. Be careful not to deflate the batter too much.
  • Now transfer the batter to ungreased angel food cake pan. Even out the surface. Run a butter knife through the batter to remove any air bubbles.
  • Bake for about 40-45 minutes. It’s ready if the inserted wooden stick comes out clean.
  • Cool the cake completely in the pan upside down for 90-120 minutes. This will make sure the cake stays soft and fluffy while cooling.

For pineapple whipped cream filling:

  • Whisk the heavy cream with sugar until hard peaks form. (Adjust the sugar to your taste.)
  • Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice for later. Carefully fold in the crushed pineapple into the whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To make cream cheese frosting:

  • In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment beat cream cheese and butter on medium high speed.
  • Add powdered sugar, pineapple juice and coconut extract. Continue to beat until nice and smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To toast the coconut flakes:

  • Spread the coconut flakes evenly on a cookie sheet. Bake it for 5-8 minutes at 350°F (177°C), or until nice and golden, stirring every few minutes.

To assemble the cake:

  • Cut the cooled cake horizontally and remove the top layer. Using a small knife, cut out a tunnel in the center of the bottom layer.
  • Evenly soak the cake with a little bit of reserved pineapple juice (mix with rum, if desired).
  • Fill the tunnel with pineapple whipped cream. Place the top layer and frost with cream cheese frosting. Then cover with toasted coconut flakes.
  • If desired, pipe cream cheese frosting on the top and garnish with maraschino cherries.

Notes

Note 1: To make homemade cake flour, measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons of it and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift and you have a DIY cake flour!
Note 2: Caster sugar is basically super fine granulated sugar. If you don’t have it, you may pulse regular granulated sugar in a food processor, or blender, until nice and fine. Fine sugar dissolves quicker in the meringue, creating nice and stable meringue. Powdered sugar (or confectioner’s sugar) won’t work here.
Note 3: Fresh egg whites are best for making Angel food cake. And here’re 6 ideas for leftover egg yolks.
Note 4: Cream of tartar is an acid that stabilizes egg whites, making stronger and more stable meringue. While it’s highly recommended, it’s not crucial ingredient.
Note 5: Make sure to use plain brick-style cream cheese for nice and sturdy frosting.
Storing Tip:
Store leftover cake, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 467kcal
Carbohydrates: 71g
Protein: 7g
Fat: 18g
Sugar: 60g
Sodium: 298mg