Monday, March 7, 2011

What I Baked for Dessert Today

Favorite Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 1 (3-layer) cake
This is my go-to cake when I need a taste of home.  It's been a favorite in my family for a long time.  I start out with a basic 1-2-3-4 yellow cake which is probably the first cake that I learned to bake when I was a child.  It follows the basic ratio of 1 cup butter to 2 cups of sugar to 3 cups flour and 4 eggs.  I've filled this version with a cooked pineapple filling, but it's good with other fillings as well.  Keep this recipe handy for your next family celebration. 

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 extra large eggs
1 cup milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Pineapple Filling
Cream Cheese Frosting
Preheat oven to 350°F.    Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. 
Cream butter in a large mixing bowl.  Gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy.  Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.   Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add flour mixture alternately with milk and extracts, stirring well after each addition.  Pour into prepared pans evenly.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until tester inserted into cake comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and finish cooling on racks until completely cooled.
Spread Pineapple Filling between layers.
Frost top and sides of cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Pineapple Filling
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
Combine pineapple and sugar in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.  Stir together a little bit of cold water into cornstarch to create a slurry.  Add slurry to pineapple, stirring to combine.  Cook until thickened.  Stir in butter until combined.  Set aside to cool slightly.

 
Cream Cheese Icing
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy.


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