Darlene’s Pina Colada Cake
Hawaiian Inspired Cake Perfect Dessert for Luau Party
This isn't your typical coconut cake! How about four layers of pineapple and coconut flavored cake, and a cream cheese and cream of coconut icing for starters!
If you’re having a luau, you simply must try this delicious Pina Colada Cake! It incorporates pineapple, coconut, and rum flavoring into an elegant and extravagantly beautiful cake. If you happen to have hibiscus flowers blooming, you can add an extra flair by pressing and drying them to decorate under and around the cake. Also, carefully break a coconut in half, scoop out the coconut in chunks for garnish, and use the coconut shells filled with toasted coconut and dried banana chips for decoration.
Pina Colada Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
Cake –
- 2 boxes of white cake mix
- egg whites (according to mix instructions)
- pineapple juice to replace the water in the cake mix
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
Icing –
- 3 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese
- 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 1/2 cups cream of coconut, plus a little for drizzling
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
- 1 small tub of whipped cream
Garnish –
- 1 bag of shredded coconut, toasted
- 1 cup of macadamia nuts
- 1 whole coconut
- toothpicks
- 1 cup dehydrated banana chips
Directions:
- Mix together both boxes of cake mix according to package instructions, using only the egg whites. Replace the amount of water with pineapple juice, and add in coconut and rum extracts. Real rum can be used instead of the extract, but instead of adding it into the cake, drizzle some over the cake layers (amount to personal preference) once they have cooled.
- Bake all the mix in only three 9” round cake pans. When these cakes have baked and cooled, the center will be sunken in, creating a little “bowl” in the middle that will be filled a smooth, creamy cream cheese filling. Allow the cakes to cool completely before proceeding with layers.
- While the layers are cooling, go ahead and mix the cheesecake filling. Blend together three blocks of softened cream cheese, two cups of sifted confectioner’s sugar, one cup of cream of coconut, and two teaspoons of coconut extract. Set this in the refrigerator and allow it to cool to the consistency of thick pudding.
- When the cake layers have cooled and the filling has thickened, begin layering the cakes. Place the first layer “bowl” side up and fill with about 1/3 of the filling. Drizzle cream of coconut over the cheesecake filling, but avoid putting too much or letting any run down the sides of the cake.
- Add the second layer, fill with cheesecake, and drizzle with more cream of coconut. Then put on the top layer. Place the cake in the refrigerator while mixing the icing. To the remaining filling, add ½ cup cream of coconut and two cups of confectioner’s sugar. Then carefully fold in one small tub of whipped cream. Set this in the refrigerator while preparing garnishes.
- Spread two cups of coconut flakes out onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F, stirring frequently, until the coconut flakes are a beautiful, toasty brown. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool. Break the coconut in half and remove the coconut in chunks. Break the coconut into different sizes to make the garnish more interesting. Roast these pieces of coconut in the oven at 350 degrees F until they begin to brown just a bit. Remove them from the oven, place them in a bowl, and toss them in two tablespoons of cream of coconut and two teaspoons of the toasted coconut.
- Remove the cake and frosting from the refrigerator and ice the cake. Pipe dollops of the icing in a decorative design on top of the cake. Press toasted coconut into the icing all over the sides of the cake, then pipe icing around the bottom edge of the cake. Drizzle cream of coconut all over the top and sides of the cake. Put toothpicks into some of the chunks of coconut and stick into the sides of the cake. Garnish the top of the cake with the remaining coconut chunks, macadamia nuts, banana chips, and top it all off with another sprinkle of toasted coconut.
- Extravagant and worth every single bit of trouble! Keep this cake in the refrigerator. It is best served after sitting over night. Enjoy!
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