Chilean Pineapple Cake

Brooke's Kitchen's Note:

This is the cake that I make for my Chilean husband's birthday. He loves it! We have small kids so I skip the alcohol but it's good either way. This recipe takes a while to prepare but it's worth it!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks
• 1/8 cup liquor, white (use your favorite such as pisco, tequila, vodka, etc)
• 1 quart heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• coconut flakes, to taste

Directions:

1. 1.- Grease two 9" cake pans and set aside. In a medium bowl sift the dry ingredients all together. In a small sauce pan pour the sugar and wet it with a little bit of water (it should look like wet sand), cook it until it reaches the consistency of a soft ball (240ºF) and set aside. Beat egg whites in separate bowl until they form stiff peaks and add the syrup. Continue beating until the meringue is cool. Add the egg yolks one at a time, making sure they are well incorporated after every addition. Finally, add the dry ingredients softly. Do not over beat.
2. 2.- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake it at 325ºF for 30 minutes. (Note- original recipe has you put batter in 1 9" spring form pan and then cut the cake in half to ice. I'm lazy, so I use two cake pans!) The timing can vary depending on your oven, but make sure that when you insert a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let it cool completely and remove from cake pans.
3. 3.- Preparing the heavy whipping cream. Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar. Set it in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the cake.
4. 4.- Open and strain the pineapple can. Reserve the juice and mix it with the liquor of your preference. (I've used no alcohol before and think the recipe is fabulous with only the pineapple juice). Put the bottom layer of the cake on a cake stand and sprinkle it with the pineapple juice mixture until it is very moist (not mushy). Add an abundant layer of heavy whipping cream and evenly distribute pineapple chunks on top of it, add a thin layer of cream again. To wet the second cake layer, put it on top of a plate and wet one side. Turn it upside down on top of the cake and wet the other side. Repeat the process of the cream, pineapple chunks and cream.
5. 5.- Moist the last layer of the cake and assemble it on top of the rest of the cake. Cover completely with heavy whipping cream (a very thin layer, this is just to get rid of the crumbs). Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
6. 6.- Once the first layer is set, add the final coat of heavy whipping cream and proceed to decorate with the rest of pineapple chunks and toasted coconut flakes.