ANGEL FOOD CAKE - PINA COLADA

By akselden

Ingredients

• Candied Coconut Ribbons:
• 1 angel food cake
• 1 fresh coconut
• 1/4 C. icing sugar, sifted
• White Frosting:
• 1-1/2 C. granulated sugar
• 1/4 C. plus 1 T. cold water
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 T. white or golden corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tsp. rum extract
• Pineapple Filling:
• 1 14-oz. can sliced pineapple, drained*
• 1/4 C. White Frosting (see above)
• Do not substitute crushed pineapple for the sliced pineapple.

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

To make Candied Coconut Ribbons:
Note: The ribbons can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in a cool dry place. So they don't get crushed, it's best to store them spread out in pans, rather than in containers.
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Hammer large nail holes through the coconut's three "eyes" (three dark-colored dots on the shell). Drain coconut milk and discard it. Place coconut on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Remove coconut from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300°F.

3. When coconut is cool enough to handle, hammer it to break open the shell. Discard shell. Coconut meat should crack into large pieces.

4. Using a sharp grater or vegetable peeler, grate the brown skin off the coconut meat. Discard skin gratings.

5. On a mandolin set to paper-thin thickness, shave large strips of the coconut meat from the sides (i.e. the cracked edges of the pieces, not the larger rounded surfaces) of the skinned coconut "meat" pieces. (If you don't have a mandolin, shave pieces with a sharp vegetable peeler.) Try to keep the resulting coconut "ribbons" approximately 3" (8 cm) long.

6.Using your hands, toss the ribbons in a large bowl with the icing sugar to coat evenly. Shake out any excess clumps of icing sugar from ribbons. Spread ribbons in single layer on each of two parchment paper-lined jelly-roll pans or baking sheets. Bake ribbons for 20 to 24 minutes on middle rack of oven. Gently rearrange ribbons once during cooking, pushing ribbons at edges of pan into centre and ones at centre to edges. The tips of the ribbons should just begin to turn golden. Remove from oven and let cool on pans to room temperature. The candied ribbons should dry smooth, stiff and white with some golden edges. Set aside.

To make White Frosting:
7. Set a pot of water to simmer on the stove.

8. Mix sugar, water, egg whites, corn syrup, cream of tartar and salt in heat-proof bowl.

9. Place over pot of simmering water. Beat with hand-held electric mixer at high speed until frosting is glossy and forms soft peaks, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

10. Beat in rum extract and continue beating another 3 minutes until icing holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

To make Pineapple Filling:
11. Chop the drained pineapple into 1/4" pieces.

12. Measure out 3/4 C. Wrap pineapple in three layers of paper towel, and wring out excess liquid from fruit.

13. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the White Frosting with the chopped pineapple. Set aside.

To assemble cake:
14. Place cake, tapered end up, on serving plate or cake stand. Slice cake horizontally once, making two layers.

15. Spread Pineapple Filling over top surface of bottom layer. Replace top layer of cake.

16. Frost cake with remaining White Frosting.

17. Sprinkle coconut ribbons over top and sides of cake. Fill in any gaps by studding the rest of the coconut ribbons into the cake so they stick out in all directions.

18. Chill for 1 hour or overnight.