Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 hr


See how to frost a cake.

Makes 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • for cakes
  • 1cup cake flour (not self-rising)
  • 1/2teaspoon salt
  • 6large eggs at room temperature
  • 1cup sugar
  • 2teaspoons vanilla
  • 3/4stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooledfor pineapple filling
  • 1(20-oz) can crushed pineapple, including juice
  • 2tablespoons sugar
  • 1tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1teaspoon fresh lemon juicefor rum syrup
  • 2/3cup water
  • 1/4cup sugar
  • 3tablespoons light rumfor assembly
  • coconut buttercream
  • 3 1/2cups fresh coconut shavings (see how to crack and shave fresh coconut ) or 2 2/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut (7-oz package)

    DIRECTIONS

    Make cakes:
    Preheat oven to 350°F and butter2 (8-inch) square cake pans (2 inches deep).

    Sift flour with salt into a bowl.

    Heat eggs and sugar in large metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water, gently whisking constantly, until lukewarm.

    Remove bowl from heat and add vanilla, then beat with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until thickand pale and tripled in volume (about 5 minutes with a standing mixer or10 minutes with a handheld). Sift flour and salt over eggs in 2 batches, folding gently but thoroughly after each batch. Fold in melted butter until combined. Divide batter evenly between cake pans, smoothing tops.

    Bake cakes in middle of oven untila tester comes out clean and cakes are golden, about 15 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 5 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.

    Make pineapple filling:
    Stir together filling ingredients ina heavy saucepan until cornstarch is dissolved. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then simmer, stirring,3 minutes. Cool filling completely, stirring occasionally.

    Make rum syrup:
    Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Transfer to a small bowl and chill until ready to use.

    Assemble cake:
    Trim edges of cakes if necessary and cut each horizontally in half with a long serrated knife to form a total of4 thin layers. Put 1 cake layer, cutside up, on a cake plate and brush topwith some rum syrup, then spreadhalf of pineapple filling over it. Topwith another cake layer and brush with syrup, then spread with about 2/3 cup buttercream. Top with a third cake layer and brush with syrup, then spread remaining pineapple over it. Topwith fourth layer, cut side down, and brush with remaining syrup. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining buttercream, then coat with coconut.

    Cooks’ notes:

    • Cake layers can be made 2 days ahead and left unsplit. Keep, wrapped wellin plastic wrap, at room temperature.

    • Pineapple filling can be prepared3 days ahead and chilled, covered.

    •Rum syrup can be made 1 weekahead and chilled, covered.

    • Cake can be assembled 1 day aheadand chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.