Pineapple & coconut sandwich cake

in series 8, sophie made this tropical-tasting sandwich cake, topped with a pineapple flower made of baked pineapple ‘leather’.

HANDS-ON: 1½ hours BAKE: 1½ hours SERVES 12

You will need: 20cm sandwich tins x 2, greased, then base-lined with baking paper Baking sheet lined with baking paper Mini-muffin tray Sugar thermometer 1 large piping bag fitted with a medium, plain nozzle.

FOR THE SPONGE

1 pineapple, peeled, cut into 3 x 5mm-thick rounds, then the remainder cored and cut into small chunks 170g unsalted butter, softened 225g caster sugar

5 large eggs, beaten 240g self-raising flour, sifted

100g fresh coconut chunks, peeled and blitzed to a gravel texture

15g coconut flakes, toasted, to decorate

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

300g caster sugar 3 egg whites

250g unsalted butter, diced and softened

½ tsp coconut flavouring, plus extra to taste, if necessary HEAT the oven to 180c/fan 160c/350f/gas 4. Weigh out 150g of the pineapple chunks for the cake mixture, drain thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen paper. Set aside 50g for decoration (eat the rest). Combine the butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment, on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until pale and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, little by little, beating well after each addition. Add 1 tablespoon of the flour with the last three additions of egg, then sift in the remaining flour and fold to combine. Mix in the coconut ‘gravel’ and pineapple chunks. Divide the mixture equally between the prepared tins. Bake for about

25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 2 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Reduce the oven to 140c/fan 120c/275f/gas 1. Prepare the pineapple flower. Put the 3 pineapple slices on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then turn over and bake for a further 15-20 minutes, until they are dry but flexible, with golden edges. Press each slice into a hole in the muffin tray. Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes or so, until dry and golden. Cool in the tray, then stack the slices into each other to make a flower. Set aside. Now make the buttercream by dissolving the sugar in 90ml of water in a medium pan over a low heat (about 3-5 minutes). While the sugar is dissolving, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, increase the heat under the pan to a rapid boil until the syrup reaches 121c/250f on a sugar thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat. With the whisk at full speed, pour the hot syrup onto the egg whites in a thin stream. Continue whisking until the meringue is very thick and glossy and has cooled to room temperature. Gradually add the butter, whisking after each addition until the buttercream is smooth and thick. Incorporate the coconut flavouring, adding more to taste, if you prefer. Cover the bowl and chill until firm enough to pipe. To assemble, place one sponge, top-side down, on a cake stand. Spoon the buttercream into the large piping bag fitted with the plain nozzle. Pipe large ‘kisses’ on top of the sponge, saving half the buttercream for the next layer. Top with the second sponge, top-side upwards, and pipe more kisses. Place the pineapple flower in the centre of the cake and decorate with toasted coconut flakes and the reserved 50g of pineapple, chopped into 1cm pieces.