Hot Yellow Cake with Caramelized Pineapple
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
I can't even articulate how good this cake is. This is definitely a MUST MAKE. Caramelizing pineapple takes awhile, but I've included two options (stovetop and oven) that I've tested out for you. When caramelizing, be patient. Don't stop when the fruit has pale coloring; instead, wait until you have those gorgeous, dark-golden tones. You're going to want to start keeping caramelized pineapple on hand all the time for topping ice cream (and skillet cakes, duh.) Don't ask me how I know this.
Author:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
Caramelized Pineapple Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 pineapple, cored and cubed (or 8 canned pineapple rings, cut in half)
Cake Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/8 cups cake flour
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, cut into chunks
  • 1/3 cup evaporated milk
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • vanilla bean ice cream (optional, for serving)
Instructions
  1. Caramelize the pineapple on the stovetop or in the oven. STOVETOP: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (the butter and sugar will remain separated). Add the pineapple and cook, tossing periodically, until the juice has mostly evaporated and the pineapple is nicely caramelized, about 35-40 minutes. OVEN: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place the chopped pineapple in a baking dish, melt the butter in the microwave, and pour the melted butter evenly over the pineapple. Crumble the brown sugar evenly over the pineapple. Bake for around 2 hours, tossing every 20-25 minutes, until caramelized and delicious.
  2. To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare a 10-inch oven-safe skillet sprayed with cooking spray. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the butter and water to a boil. In the meantime, in a separate large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt before whisking in the egg, sour cream, almond extract, vanilla extract. Mix to combine. While mixing, slowly pour in the boiling butter and water mixture. Mix to combine completely. Your batter will be very runny. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 17-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in several places comes out with a few moist crumbs. While the cake bakes, prepare everything to start your frosting.
  3. Make the icing: When the cake is fresh out of the oven, bring the sugar, butter, evaporated milk, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat (I use the same saucepan as before). Reduce the heat and simmer, whisking constantly, for 10 minutes. The frosting will bubble like caramel most of the time and you'll notice it start to pull away from the sides of the pan as it nears the 10 minute mark. Remove the icing from the heat and whisk in the almond extract. Pour the icing over the hot cake and spread quickly, because it begins to set immediately. Top the cake with the caramelized pineapple (I scoop out the middle of the cake, eat it (ahem), and then pour the pineapple into the crater). Serve immediately with vanilla bean ice cream.
Recipe by Willow Bird Baking at http://willowbirdbaking.com/2015/05/25/hot-yellow-cake-with-caramelized-pineapple-2/