Pineapple Angel Food Cake

I've made one when I did my Project: Angel Food Cake a Day but the crushed pineapple was mixed in the frosting and filling. This time, I want the fruit in the cake itself. Bits of juicy pineapple which will make the cake even softer and just bursting with flavor. It wasn't hard to do. I just used my regular angel food cake recipe with some minor adjustment in the measurement of the ingredients. I want a bigger cake and no hole in the middle so I used my spring form pan. Let me confess my angel food cake gluttony. I only shared half of it and the rest, I hid somewhere in the fridge where no guests or relatives may see. What’s with an angel food cake that's so addictive? I just keep coming back for more. The crushed pineapple caused some gaps in the cake but it's so soft and moist. I always use the Mexican brand shredded coconut in small plastic bags because they're fresher and with just a hint of sweetness in it.

Pineapple Angel Food Cake with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

For the cake

1 1/3 cup sifted cake flour
1 ¾ cup egg whites (1 doz extra large eggs)
1 1/2 cup caster sugar, divided
1 ¾ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
1 cup crushed pineapple (drained overnight)

For the topping
1 cup toasted shredded coconut (spread on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until medium golden brown

For the frosting

1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 cup heavy cream, slightly frozen

In a mixing bowl whip the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar till smooth. Add the slightly frozen heavy cream and continue whipping till it reaches Cool Whip consistency. Refrigerate while waiting for the cake to cool down completely.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F.
In a medium bowl sift together cake flour and half of the caster sugar, set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat the egg whites until frothy, add the cream of tartar and salt and beat until soft peaks form when the beater is raised. Gradually beat in the remaining sifted 3/4 cup sugar 1-2 tbsp at a time beating until very stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Remove 1 heaping cup of egg whites and fold into the pineapple. Sift the flour/sugar mixture over the egg whites in 6-8 additions and gently fold it in after each addition. Take your time and do it gently to avoid deflating the egg whites. Whisk together the egg whites and pineapple mixture and fold into the batter until uniform. Pour into the spring form pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and tap the pan once or twice to ensure that there are no large bubbles lurking beneath the surface. Bake for 40-42 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly pressed. Transfer the cake straight to the freezer while preparing the frosting. Freezing the cake before frosting helps to make the frosting smoother.

Frosting and finishing the cake:

Spread frosting evenly on top and the sides of the cake
Sprinkle the toasted coconut on top and press the rest gently on the sides or
simply fling or sprinkle towards the sides.
Chill before serving.
Enjoy!