This is a great dessert to make for Valentines Day… enjoy.

I grew up eating pineapple cakes and pastries. I recall going to restaurants and bakeries where this cake was the most popular to eat. It was layers of soft, moist white cake, filled with whipped cream and pineapple. It was not overly sweet and most of all the icing was delicious. I think that is the reason why I don’t like buttercream or any other kind of icings. It just doesn’t taste fresh to me and most of the time they are overly sweet.

We were going out for dinner with some friends and I asked them to come back to our house for dessert. I was in the mood to bake a cake- I haven’t done it in a while. Somehow the pineapple cake came to mind. I bought the crushed pineapple and the whipping cream. Now, as some of you know, I do all of my baking with white whole wheat flour. I was a bit torn which way to go with this dessert. Since the icing is not overly sweet, the cake stands out. I wasn’t sure how the whole wheat flavor will taste with the rest of the ingredients.

I decided to go ahead with the whole wheat flour and went looking for whole wheat cake flour. Cake flour has less protein than the rest and results in a softer cake. I was not able to find whole wheat cake flour so I came home and made my own. For 2 cups of cake flour, I used 1 and 3/4 cups of white whole wheat flour mixed in with 1/4 cup of corn starch. I proceeded with a recipe I found on the internet but used extra light olive oil and raw sugar instead of butter and white sugar.

I went ahead and baked the cake and assembled it. It is very important to soak the layers well and properly with the pineapple juice to ensure a moist cake- especially if you are using white whole wheat flour.

My daughter was extremely excited to taste this dessert since I told her it was my favorite treat growing up. I was a bit concerned how she would react to the nutty cake flavor. Well, I don’t know what I was worried about- she loved it. My husband and I could taste the difference- it is not the same but it is a welcome change. For those of you looking for that authentic flavor, I would stick to regular cake flour. Me, on the other hand, will be making this cake again with the whole wheat flour. It was delicious- moist, soft and creamy.

Brought me back to my childhood. I love how food has the ability to transport you thousands of miles away…. Enjoy this delicious pineapple and fresh cream cake- you will love it.

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup extra light olive oil
• 1 cup raw sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans.
In bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wire whisk.

Cream oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix until completely combines. Slowly add flour alternately with milk. At end of addition batter should be should. Divide between 2 pans.

Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then invert onto a rack and cool completely before frosting.

• 1 pint whipping cream
• ¼ confectioners sugar

Beat the cream till it forms stiff peaks. It should take about 5 to 7 minutes. Keep aside.

• 1 (14 ounces) crushed pineapple with juice

Strain the crushed pineapple saving the juice (it should yield about ¾ cup juice). Keep the juice aside. Add one cup whipped cream to the strained pineapple. Mix well.

In the meantime, add one layer on a serving platter. With a large spoon soak the surface with half of the pineapple juice. Add the cream and pineapple mixture and spread evenly on the cake. Add the second layer on top and press down gently. Soak the top layer with the remaining pineapple juice. Frost the cake with the remaining whipped cream.
Chunks of fresh pineapple can be added as embellishments on the top. Refrigerate before serving.