Saturday, October 8, 2011

When life is a little rough, macadamia nuts and pineapple come to the rescues…


I had a rough week and I know my office gang was not having a lot of fun either. One of the most frustrating parts of the working for a corporation was the fact that many times my hands were tied. I couldn’t do much to make the change necessary to make working life better.  I work with a great group of people. I wish I could do something for them. My way of thanking the gang is to bake for them and they love to eat! 

When I got home from Yoga last night, I was still dwelling over all the issues at the office. I decided to make a cake, something simple, something from the Islands. How about some Macadamia nuts and pineapple? Can you smell the ocean? Hear the wave? See the rainbow? Okay, okay I am going a little overboard. 

This is a very simple Hawaiian poi cake recipe. Don’t worry there is no poi in the cake. Pineapple poi is the crushed pineapple, like poi!!!

If you don’t have mac-nut readily available, walnut is a great substitute for this.

Hawaiian macadamia nut pineapple poi cake with honey cream cheese frosting
Cake:
2 cups sugar
1 can 20oz-crushed pineapple in natural juice
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped macadamia nut or walnut
Honey cream cheese frosting:
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
Directions:
Heat oven to 350, if you are using a non-stick (dark pan). Lower temperature to 325.
Spray a 9x13 oblong pan with baking spread, or grease and flour.
In a large bowl. Mix sugar with a whole can of crush pineapple, juice and all.
Add 2 eggs, combine.
Fold in flour and baking soda.
Finally fold in the nuts.
Pour the batter in the prepared pan.
Bake for 45-55 mins till the toothpick came out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.
Cook for 5 -10 mins. You can leave a cake in the pan and cool completely. 
Or invert the cake onto a cooling rake. Let the cake cool completely.
As with the frosting
Combine cream cheese, butter and honey in a medium bowl.

Add 1 tsp vanilla
Beat at med high speed till fluffy and light.
To frost the cake:
If you leave the cake in the pan, simply frost the cake!
I re-inverted the cake onto a serving platter (right side up).
Drop frosting over the cake,
Happy frosting!
 Store in the fridge. 12 big serving, 16 little one!

Enjoy!
Aloha

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