Haleakala Cake {White Cake with Pineapple Filling}

Instructions

Pineapple Filling

1. Pour pineapple into a large strainer over a bowl. Press down on the pineapple to release all of the juice. Set pineapple aside.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add a little bit of the pineapple juice and stir to ensure there are no lumps. Add remainder of juice and stir thoroughly.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and continue stirring while the mixture simmers for 2 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat, stir in reserved pineapple, vanilla and food coloring. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

White Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two round 9 inch pans. (You can grease and flour them or I use the baking spray with flour in it)
2. Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt with a whisk to ensure no clumps. Set aside.
3. In your mixer bowl, cream the butter until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until completely incorporated. Be sure the scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. Add half of the dry ingredients, mix on low until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then add half of the milk, again mixing on low until incorporated. Repeat, adding the remainder of the dry ingredients and then the milk. Scrape the sides well.
5. Add the egg whites (you add them unbeaten) and beat batter on high for 2 minutes. It is ok if the final batter isn’t completely smooth.
6. Pour half of the batter into each of the two prepared pans. Tilt them a bit to level out the batter, and then drop them from a few inches above the counter to finish leveling them.
7. Bake 30-35 minutes. The sides should have pulled away from the edges and the top should be golden brown and barely spring back when pressed with a finger tip.
8. Run a knife around the edges of the cakes when you remove them from the oven, then let them cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Invert onto a cooling rack and then cool right side up until completely cooled.

Frosting and Assembly

1. This icing is not one that should be made ahead. Have the cake and filling ready to go before you make the icing and it is best served the same day (though the leftovers are delicious too!)
2. Go ahead and place the first layer of cake on your serving tray. Top with half of the pineapple mixture, spreading to almost the edge of the cake. Place second layer of cake on top and finish with the rest of the pineapple. Smooth the pineapple as best you can so you will be ready when the frosting is done.
3. In a large (at least 6 cups) saucepan, mix together sugar, cream of tartar and water with a wooden spoon. Set spoon aside so you aren’t tempted to stir for a while!
4. Cook mixture over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Cover pot so that it is airtight (use the lid of the pot or foil) and let boil for 3 minutes without opening it. (Maida says this keeps the steam in the pot and dissolves any sugar granules that stick to the sides.)
5. Uncover the pot and place your candy thermometer. Raise the heat to high and let boil without stirring until the thermometer reaches 242°F.
6. As the sugar is coming up to temperature, place your egg whites and salt into your clean mixer bowl. When the sugar reaches about 236°F, begin beating the egg whites until they are stiff. You want the egg whites to be freshly beaten and the sugar syrup to be ready at about the same time. Though you can always turn down the heat a bit on the syrup or turn the mixer on low for a minute or two until the other part of the icing is ready.
7. Once syrup reaches 242°F and egg whites are ready, turn mixer to high and very gradually drizzle hot syrup into the egg whites. Hold the pan about a foot over the mixer bowl and pour in a steady stream until it is all incorporated. Beat on high for 5 more minutes. The mix should be thick and marshmallowy. Mix in vanilla until completely incorporated. 
8. The frosting is spread most easily while it is still warm, so working quickly spread a thin layer of icing around the sides of the cake. Keep adding to build it up to just over 1/2 inch thick. Then place remaining icing on top of the cake and spread until smooth. You can use the back of a spoon to form swirls and peaks if you’d like. I liked the look with more smooth sides.
9. If you’d like, sprinkle your coconut on top. Let cake stand uncovered at room temperature.