Pineapple- Apple Cake
Submitted by edwin
Pineapple apple cake sweetened with apple juice concentrate and topped with coconut, walnuts, cinnamon, and diced fruit. No refined sugar in the batter, all natural sweetness.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
This pineapple apple cake gets all its sweetness from apple juice concentrate and fruit, with no refined sugar in the batter. The result is a moist, fragrant cake where the cinnamon, pineapple, and apple flavors come through clean and bright instead of buried under sugar.
The topping is where the texture lives. Shredded coconut, diced apple, pineapple chunks, and chopped walnuts get scattered over the batter before baking, creating a crunchy, fruity crust that contrasts with the soft cake underneath.
Draining the pineapple well is the most important prep step. Press it gently in a strainer to remove excess juice. Too much moisture in the batter or topping and the cake won’t set properly in the center.
Pro Tips
- Drain the pineapple twice. Once for the topping, once for the batter. Both need the excess juice pressed out or the cake turns soggy.
- Stir the baking soda in last and work fast. It starts reacting immediately with the acid in the apple juice concentrate, and you want that lift happening in the oven, not on the counter.
- Beat the batter by hand for at least two minutes after adding the flour. This develops enough structure to support the heavy fruit topping without the cake sinking.
- Test with a cake tester at 28 minutes. The low oven temperature means the window between done and overdone is forgiving, but every oven varies.
Variations
- Tropical version: Add diced mango to the topping and swap walnuts for macadamia nuts.
- Spiced apple: Replace the cinnamon with a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for a deeper autumn flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Grease and flour a 13×9×2 inch baking pan.
To make the topping:
In a medium sized bowl place coconut and pre-moisten.
Stir and set aside.
Dice pineapple and measure out ½ cup, place in hand strainer over a small bowl and press lightly with a spoon to reduce moiture content.
Set aside to drain.
Combine apple and coconut, ad d cinnamon and chopped nuts, stir in drained pineapple and mix well; set aside.
To make batter:
Measure out a generous half cup, dice and drain as above; set aside.
In a large bowl combine eggs, oil and apple juice concentrate, beat for 1 minute.
Add drained pineapple and stir; then mix in cinnamon.
Add flour a little at a time, stirring after each addition, and then beat well by hand for at least 2 minutes.
Stir in baking soda quickly and then mix 28 to 20 beats, Using your hands, sprinkle topping over batter and then bake 28 to 29 minutes or until a cake tester comes out Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack until completely cooled.
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