A few weeks ago my oldest daughter turned the big 11! I love how both my girls always want to try out different cakes for their birthdays, therefore I always have the fun of making and trying out different cakes! I love how as their birthdays approach they start thinking about what kind of cake they want. My husband on the other hand wants chocolate, chocolate chocolate, more chocolate, and as much chocolate as I can cram into a birthday cake! But that is for another post. This time around my daughter wanted to have a lemon pineapple cake, and a lemon pineapple cake is what she got! This cake is so light and yummy and perfect for the approaching spring and summer months. I decided that for my next birthday I am also going to be making this cake for myself…..my husband liked that idea…..because now he doesn’t have to make me a cake. :/ So here is the Lemon-Lime Cake with Pineapple Curd and Pineapple Sweet Cream that I made. The name is kind of a mouthful, but you won’t mind when you have your mouth full of cake! Ha!
This cake has three parts to it: The pineapple curd, the cake, and the pineapple sweet cream. You want to start by making the pineapple curd so it has time to cool and thicken. I actually made the curd the night before so that it would be all ready for me the next day. Here is what you need to make the curd:
Start by opening your can of crushed pineapple and reserving out 6 tablespoons, of just the pineapple juice, in a separate storage container. Go ahead and put the juice in the refrigerator. You will use the juice later for making your pineapple sweet cream. Then you will combine the remaining pineapple with its juice, butter, eggs, flour, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.
Cook the mixture, without boiling it, over medium heat stirring constantly and carefully scraping the bottom and corners of the pan, with a rubber spatula, to prevent curdling. Do this until thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
Then you will pour the curd into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap so that it touches the surface. Doing this will prevent the curd surface from hardening. Then put the curd in the refrigerator so that it will cool completely and thicken, for at least 1 hour. It can also be made a few days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
For the cake you will need the following. I love how this is made from a box cake by doctoring it up with other ingredients. Then place your oven rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable shortening and then dust them with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pans aside. In the bowl of your electric mixer add your cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, and Sprite. With your whisk attachment blend on low-speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2-3 more minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides again. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans smoothing out the top with your spatula. Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes and until the cakes spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then run a dinner knife around the edge of each cake layer and remove each of them to finish cooling, right side up, on a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Now to make the Pineapple Sweet Cream. To start you want to place your clean mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer while you assemble your other ingredients. Measure out your whipping cream and your powdered sugar.
Pour your whipping cream into the chilled bowl and whisk on high-speed until the cream has thickened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stop the machine and add the sugar. Whisk the cream and sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stop the machine and pour in your pineapple juice. Whisk that up until combined.
Now you are ready for the fun part of assembling your cake! Take out your pineapple curd and stir that up. Place one cake layer, right side up, on a cake stand. Spread the top of the cake with 1/3 of the pineapple curd. Place the second cake layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and spread the second layer with 1/3 of the pineapple curd. Top with your last cake layer, right side up, and with an icing spatula spread your pineapple sweet cream all over the top and down the sides of your cake. Don’t worry if your icing is not perfect because you are going to cover it up real soon! Then take the last of your pineapple curd and spread it all over the top of your pineapple sweet cream and let it ooze down the sides. Amazing!
Here is your printable recipe!
- Pineapple Curd
- 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple packed in juice, undrained
- 1 stick of butter cut into small pieces
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Cake
- Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
- Flour for dusting the pans
- 1 package plain lemon cake mix
- 1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 (12 ounce) can or bottle of Sprite or lemon-lime soda
- Pineapple Sweet Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons pineapple juice
- To make the pineapple curd start by opening your can of crushed pineapple and reserve out 6 tablespoons, of just the pineapple juice, and put the juice in a separate storage container. Go ahead and put the juice in the refrigerator. You will use the juice later for making your pineapple sweet cream.
- Then you will combine the remaining pineapple with its juice, butter, eggs, flour, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.
- Cook the mixture, without boiling it, over medium heat stirring constantly and carefully scraping the bottom and corners of the pan, with a rubber spatula, to prevent curdling. Do this until thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
- Then you will pour the curd into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap so that it touches the surface. Doing this will prevent the curd surface from hardening. Then put the curd in the refrigerator so that it will cool completely and thicken, for at least 1 hour. It can also be made a few days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
- To make the cake place your oven rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable shortening and then dust them with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pans aside.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer add your cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, and Sprite. With your whisk attachment blend on low-speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2-3 more minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides again.
- Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans smoothing out the top with your spatula.
- Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes and until the cakes spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then run a dinner knife around the edge of each cake layer and remove each of them to finish cooling, right side up, on a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the pineapple sweet cream start by placing your clean mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer while you assemble your other ingredients. Measure out your whipping cream and your powdered sugar.
- Pour your whipping cream into the chilled bowl and whisk on high-speed until the cream has thickened, about 1½ minutes. Stop the machine and add the powdered sugar. Whisk the cream and sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stop the machine and pour in your pineapple juice. Whisk that up until combined.
- To assemble your cake take out your pineapple curd and stir that up. Place one cake layer, right side up, on a cake stand. Spread the top of the cake with ⅓ of the pineapple curd. Place the second cake layer, right side up, on top of the first layer and spread the second layer with ⅓ of the pineapple curd. Top with your last cake layer, right side up, and with an icing spatula spread your pineapple sweet cream all over the top and down the sides of your cake. Then take the last of your pineapple curd and spread it all over the top of your pineapple sweet cream and let it ooze down the sides.
eclecticredbarn says
wow, your cake looks so yummy. I like the pineapple curd. Make sure to stop by next month.
Thanks for sharing at You’re The Star,
Bev
Jen says
Thank you!
Miz Helen says
We will really enjoy your amazing Lemon Lime Cake , and the Pineapple just puts this over the top!! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome recipe with us at Full Plate Thursday and you have a great week!
Miz Helen
Jen says
Thank you!