I adore all summer fruits & pineapple is usually towards the top of the list! So when it’s in season & easily available, I really try to enjoy this delicious fruit as much as possible ☺. In both Marathi & Hindi, pineapple is known as “ananas”.

Pineapples are a wonderful source of Vitamin C, dietary fiber, manganese, copper & also Vitamin B6. Pineapples are also thought to have strong anti-inflammatory & digestive benefits, as well as, provide good antioxidant & immune support.

My Pineapple Lemon Cake is super moist, delicious & absolutely heavenly! It’s a true hands down favorite among all of my family & friends. When fresh pineapples are in season, by all means, do feel free to use them in this cake. My recipe can also be made using canned crushed pineapples as well, so this wonderful cake can be enjoyed all year round regardless of your location. Pineapple & lemon is a lovely combination of sweet & tart that is always a winner, so try making this yummy cake for your family soon ☺.


PINEAPPLE LEMON CAKE

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
½ cup whole milk
2 tbsp lemon zest, finely grated
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp ground cardamom powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
14-15 oz can of crushed pineapple (drained well but reserve the juice)
confectioner’s sugar for garnish

METHOD:

First, take out the eggs & let them come up to room temperature (about 25-30 minutes).

Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F making sure an oven rack is available in the center of the oven for baking the cake. Then prepare a 9x12” baking pan by buttering & flouring it. Set aside until needed.

Over a large mixing bowl, sift the all-purpose flour together with the baking powder & salt. Set aside until needed.

*Note: if you are using fresh pineapple for this cake, use the same amount as given above but coarsely pulse pineapple pieces in a food processor until it has a "crushed" consistency & definitely remember to reserve any of the fresh pineapple juices.

Using a kitchen stand mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter with the sugar until light in color & fluffy (about 2 to 2½ minutes). Next, add in the eggs – one at a time until well incorporated. Now add in the milk, lemon zest, nutmeg, ground cardamom powder & vanilla extract. Then reduce the mixer speed to low & carefully add in the flour mixture in batches. Once the flour has been fully incorporated, add in the crushed pineapple. Mix well until you have a smooth batter.

Then carefully pour the batter into prepared baking pan, making sure to smooth out the top (an offset spatula works great for this task). Then gently tap the baking pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake on the center rack for 30-35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown & and a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, reduce the pineapple juice in a small saucepan over medium high heat until it has slightly thickened & become syrupy. Set aside until needed.

While the cake is still warm, poke holes all over the top of the cake with the toothpick & then baste with the reduced pineapple juice. Let the cake cool in the baking pan for 30 minutes.

Before serving, liberally dust the top with confectioner’s sugar, serve & enjoy!