Pina Colada Pineapple Cakes

A tropical delight transforming a cake and candy melts into a lush pineapple treat.

• Ready In: 1 hr 50 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• For the decoration

• 2  cups  yellow candy melts
• 1⁄2 cup  green candy melts

• For the cake and frosting

• 1  standard box  white cake mix
• 1 (3 1/2ounce) box vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1⁄3 cup light rum
• 1⁄4 cup  vegetable oil
• 4  large eggs
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple
• 1  cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
• 1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
• 2 -3  drops  yellow food coloring

• For the finishing touch

• 3  tablespoons  semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Directions

1. To make yellow pieces:
2. Place the yellow candy melts into a medium, heatproof bowl.
3. Fill a small pot of water with a 2-inch depth of water. Set over a low heat with the bowl of yellow candy melts on top. Stir until the yellow candy melts have melted and are smooth. Remove from the heat.
4. Drop a small dollop (about 1/4 to 1/8 tsp) of the melted candy melt onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a small, offset spatula make a brushstroke motion over the dollop of candy melt to spread it out into a thin oval.
5. Repeat this with all of the melted yellow candy melts – you may need to re-melt it in the bowl if it’s starting to set.
6. Chill for 15-20 minutes until set.
7. To make green leaf crown top:
8. Place the green candy melts into a small, heatproof bowl.
9. Fill a small pot of water with a 2-inch depth of water. Set over a low heat with the bowl of green candy melts on top. Stir until the green candy melts have melted and are smooth. Remove from the heat.
10. Drop a small dollop of green candy melt onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Use a brushstroke motion (similar to before, but in a longer motion to make a longer stripe) to make one thin, long leaf. Repeat with dollops of candy melt close together, connecting them at the base, to make the green leaf crown.
11. Repeat with the green candy melts to make a total of 6 crowns.
12. Chill for 15-20 minutes until set.
13. To make pineapple cake:
14. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two quarter-sheet pans (9 x 13 inches).
15. In a large bowl, mix the white cake mix, half the vanilla pudding mix, all of the vegetable oil, the 4 eggs, the water and half of the rum.
16. Drain the crushed pineapple but reserve the juice. Add half of the crushed pineapple to the cake batter along with all of the shredded coconut. Fold together to combine.
17. Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans, spreading out into even layers. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
18. Let cool completely before assembly.
19. To make the frosting:
20. In a large bowl combine the remaining crushed pineapple, remaining light rum, the reserved pineapple juice and remaining vanilla pudding mix, stirring until smooth and thickened.
21. Fold in the thawed cool whip. Add the yellow food colouring and fold together to combine.
22. Assemble:
23. Remove the cooled cake layers from the baking sheets. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to punch out 9 circles from each of the cake layers (so you have a total of eighteen 3-inch circles).
24. Stack 3 cake circles on top of each other, sandwiching them together with 1 tbsp frosting between each layer. Repeat so you get six small 3-layer cakes.
25. Use a serrated knife to carefully carve each small cake into a pineapple shape.
26. Cover each small cake with frosting in an even layer.
27. Cover with the chilled yellow candy melt ovals: start at the top of the cake, layering in rings going around the cake, allowing the candy melts to overlap slightly, until each cake is completely covered.
28. Transfer the melted semisweet chocolate chips to a disposable piping bag. Snip off the very tip so you have a tiny opening. Pipe dots of dark chocolate randomly onto the yellow candy melts to represent the ‘eyes’ of the pineapple.
29. Top each cake with one of the green candy melt crowns.
30. Serve.
31. NOTE:
32. Adding shredded coconut to your cakes will make it easier to trim into pineapple shapes – the coconut addition is not shown in the recipe video.