Unlike conventional pineapple cakes baked in a rectangle mold, this version doesn’t need a mold at all, or can be shaped into mooncakes because these cakes hold their shape during baking. They make a wonderful afternoon tea snack or a cute gift to family and friends. Just keep in mind this recipe requires high precision, so please use a food scale.
Prep time: 2 hours
Cook time: 18 minutes
Servings: 20 pineapple cakes
INGREDIENTS:
Pineapple Filling:
750g pineapple
75g sugar
25g maltose
Butter Base:
125g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
30g egg yolks
25g sugar
¼ tsp salt
Dry Ingredients:
75g all-purpose flour
25g Jell-O cook and serve vanilla pudding
15g whole milk powder
10g white cheddar cheese powder
½ tsp baking powder
Vanilla Dough:
30g
cake flour
Macha Dough:
22g
cake flour
3g
matcha powder
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine all the butter base ingredients. Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix on high until the mixture becomes fluffy and pale yellow.
Sift the dry ingredients into the butter base and beat on low until everything is well-combined.
This mixture should be roughly 300g. Divide it into two equal portions of 150g. If there’s a little extra, add it to the half set aside for matcha dough.
For the vanilla dough, add 30g cake flour to the mixture and beat on low to combine.
For the matcha dough, add 22g cake flour and 3 g matcha powder to the other half of the mixture and beat on low to combine. Less dry ingredients are needed for the matcha dough because matcha is an extra fine powder that absorbs more moisture.
Cover both dough with cling wrap and rest overnight in the fridge. This will help develop gluten and prevent the dough from cracking during baking.
For the pineapple filling, I recommend using a fresh pineapple because the pineapple core is crucial to providing additional fiber and texture to the filling. First, remove the outer skin of the pineapple using either a pineapple corer or a knife. Then, chop the pineapple core into fine dices, and chop the flesh into quarter inch dices.
Add the diced pineapple and sugar to a 10 or 12-inch nonstick pan, and cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture no longer bubbles, the pineapple turns light orange, and the mixture clumps together. Stir constantly during this process so that the pineapple won’t burn.
Reduce the heat to medium, add maltose to this mixture and cook for another 5-10 minutes stirring constantly. The mixture is done when you leave the mixture unstirred for 5 seconds, flip it over, and see white blisters forming on the underside of the mixture in contact with the pan.
Once the filling is done, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes, then transfer the filling into a container and store it in the fridge overnight. This step is crucial, as the filling hardens when cooled and becomes easier to work with.
When you’re ready to assemble, take the two pieces of dough out of the fridge to bring them closer to room temperature.
In the meanwhile, divide the pineapple filling into 15g portions and roll them into balls with your palms. Store them in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes as you divide the dough.
Divide the dough into 18g portions and roll them into balls as well. Cover with cling wrap so they don’t dry out.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, you will need a 50g mooncake mold if you’re using molds.
Take out a piece of the dough and gently press it into a circle 2 ½ inches in diameter with your fingers. Place a pineapple filling at the center and slowly pinch and push up the dough with your thumb and index until the dough covers the entire filling. Roll the filled dough with your palms to form a smooth ball.
If you’re using a mold, dust the ball with additional flour to prevent sticking, and place it in the mold. Hold the mold firmly against the baking sheet and press down the spring press. Lift the mold half an inch off the baking sheet and press the top down again to release the pineapple cake. Repeat the steps above for all cakes, placing them an inch apart. Do not wrap all the cakes at once, because while the cold filling is easier to work with, it will harden the dough and make it impossible to shape. Cover with finished pineapple cakes with cling wrap as you work on them, so the dough doesn’t dry out.
If you’re not using a mold, simply form them into flat cylindrical shapes after you wrap the fillings.
Place the assembled pineapple cakes along with the baking sheet into the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This step prevents the cakes from cracking by hardening the filling and preventing it from expanding before the outer shell bakes and hardens.
15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375°F. Once the 30 minutes is up and the oven is preheated, remove the baking sheet from the freezer and place in the oven.
Reduce the oven to 345°F and bake for 16-18 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden.
Let the pineapple cakes cool for 15 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet.
The cakes can be enjoyed fresh, but the convention is storing them in an airtight container overnight before consumption so that the crust will be more tender. Either way it’s delicious!
Comments
Post a Comment