Pina Colada Cake

Piña Colada Cake

Gluten and refined sugar free.

Pina Colada Cake

Refined sugar and Gluten free 

This is a moist rich cake that somehow manages to be delicious despite the absence of two of the best things in baking- Gluten and sugar. The combo of a lime coconut cake with pineapple jam and creamy lime buttercream is a pretty winning combo in anyones books. Honey being an invert sugar is really great for keeping cakes moist so this cake with last ok a few days without drying out too much. If you like the flavour combo but want normal sugar and gluten, just sub out the unrefined sugars for normal sugar. Alternatively if you want to go all the way and make it also dairy free, sub out the cream for coconut cream and the butter for your preferred dairy free spread (like nuttelex).  If your not going down the sugar free route, the cake would also be pretty delicious soaked with some simple syrup mixed with rum, because it's not a pina colada without rum!

Cake:

4 Eggs

1/2 Cup honey

1/3 Coconut Sugar

1 &1/2 of Gluten free Self raising flour (Or normal if you don’t need it gluten free!)

Zest of 1 lime

1/2 cup soft coconut flakes (soak in boiling water to soften if it's too hard)

2/3 cup cream 

Pineapple jam:

1/2 Ripe pineapple

juice of 1/2 a lime

1/3 cup coconut sugar

Refined Sugar free buttercream:

150g/5 Egg whites

1 cup honey

Pinch of Salt

300 g butter

Lime zest and/or a vanilla bean.

1. Preheat the oven to 170c grease and line a 21cm/8” cake tin with baking paper
2. Put the eggs in a  bowl of an electric mixer and beat with a whisk attachment till very light and fluffy (5min) add the honey and sugar and beat till well incorporated.
3. Grate in the lime zest and fold in the flour.
4. Fold through the coconut and the cream
5. Pour in the pre-prepared tin and bake for 50 min or until cooked through. Be careful of the edges catching.
6. To make the pineapple jam cut the pineapple into small cubes, add with the sugar and lime to a saucepan and simmer on a medium heat until the pineapple is softer and translucent and the juice is thick and syrupy, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool.
7. By this point the cake should be cooked, While the cake cooks make the buttercream: put eggwhites, honey and salt in a double boiler over simmering water. 
8. Heat to 82c while stirring with a spatula. As soon as it hits the temperature pour into an electric mixer and beat on high speed till glossy and think, 10-15 min and cooled to below 30c.
9. When the meringue is cool enough start adding the softened butter in stages till the buttercream thickens and comes together. Beat for a further 5 min till smooth and pale, adding the flavours you want at this stage.
10. Cut the cooled cake in half, spread with pineapple jam, then buttercream then ice the whole cake with the rest of the buttercream. Decorate with flowers, coconut flakes and fresh mint leaves.