Lychee Cake with Pineapple Filling and Buttercream Frosting

Origin: Lychees are from China and I believe Lychee cake started in Singapore, but I actually can't find an origin - If you know it let me know!

This sweet cake and sour filling just marry together and makes such a wonderfully amazing cake. The natural flavors from the fruits are really great and reminds you what nature can bring to the table.

Prep:

Place parchment paper in the bottom of an 8 inch spring form pan and lightly grease the sides of the pan.

Preheat the over to 325 F

Ingredients: Cake

240 g flour - sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

160 g unsalted butter - softened

165 g caster sugar - finer than granulated, but not powder

2 eggs - one at a time

2 teaspoons vanilla paste

185 g canned lychee - chopped (not too small or they will disappear)

Ingredients: Filling

460 g sugar

45 g cornstarch

110 g crushed pineapple - drained

220 g water

Ingredients: Frosting

4 1/2 tablespoons flour

230 g granulated sugar

220 g whole milk

225 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter - room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Instructions: Cake

- Step 1 - Combine Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl sift together 240 grams of flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt

- Step 2 - Cream Your Butter and Sugar

In a separate large bowl cream together 160 grams of unsalted butter that is at room temperature and 165 grams of caster sugar till light and fluffy - about 3 minutes.

Caster sugar is granulated sugar that has been pulsed in a food processor for about 10-15 seconds. You don't want powdered, but you want it finer than granulated sugar.

- Step 3 - Add the Eggs

Add your first egg and mix well and then add your second egg and mix till well combined.

- Step 4 - Add Vanilla Paste

Add the 2 teaspoons of vanilla paste and mix.

Vanilla paste brings a great flavor to your cake and you can not replace this with something else, so make sure you use the vanilla paste and not vanilla extract.

- Step 5 - Add Flour Mixture Slowly

Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix till the flour is well mixed.

It will thicken up very quickly.

- Step 6 - Drain, Chop, and Mix Lychee

Chop up the 185 grams of canned lychee. Each lychee can be cut into about 5 or 6 pieces. Do not cut the lychee into too small of pieces because they will get lost in the cake.

Once your lychee is all chopped fold it into the cake batter.

- Step 7 - Bake the Cake

Spoon your mixture into the greased pan.

Bake your cake for about 40-50 minutes - until your toothpick comes out clean. Once the cake has finished pull it out of the oven and let cool for about 20-30 minutes. Take the cake out of the spring form pan and let cool the rest of the way on a cooling rack.

You want your cake to be completely cooled before placing any frosting or filling on the cake.

Ingredients: Filling

- Step 8 - Add Powder in Saucepan

In a medium saucepan add 460 grams of sugar and 45 grams of cornstarch before putting the pan on the heat.

- Step 9 - Add the Rest

Add the 110 grams of crushed pineapple that has already been drained and also the 220 grams of water to the cornstarch and sugar and then turn up the heat to medium.

(The filling was a little sweet, so you can take out some of the sugar out, but not much)

- Step 10 - Mix Well and Constantly

Mix the cream constantly, do not stop because it could burn easily.

- Step 11 - Mix For About 10 Minutes - Till Thick

Stir the filling for a good 10 minutes until your filling starts to thicken.

- Step 12 - Pour and Cool in Shallow Bowl and Let Cool Completely

Once you are happy with the thickness of your pineapple filling go ahead and poor it into a shallow heat proof bowl to let it cool completely.

Ingredients: Frosting

- Step 13 - Mix Together Four and Sugar in Saucepan

In a medium saucepan mix 4 1/2 tablespoons of flour and 230 grams of granulated sugar before putting it onto the heat.

- Step 14 - Add Milk to Saucepan and Heat Up

Add the 220 grams of whole milk to the flour and sugar mixture and then place on the stove on low-medium heat. Stir your mixture constantly.

- Step 15 - Remove from Heat and Place in a Bowl and Cover and Cool

Once the mixture starts to come to a simmer and thicken pull the mixture off the stove and spoon the mixture into a shallow heat proof bowl to cool completely.

Press plastic wrap to the top of the pudding cream, so that it does not create a film on top while it cools.

- Step 16 - Cream your Butter

In a separate bowl, cream together the 225 grams of butter that is at room temperature.

- Step 17 - Start Adding Pudding

You have to wait for your pudding to be completely cooled before you add it to the butter, so this might take some time, but once it cools you can start adding the pudding to the butter in spoon fulls.

After every spoon full mix the butter well before you add another one.

The cream will become fluffy and soft as you mix it and start to become a frosting.

- Step 18 - Add the Other Ingredients

Once your frosting starts to become fluffy add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

Mix the frosting till it becomes fluffy and creamy - about 3 minutes.

If your frosting is done before everything else place your frosting in the fridge till you are ready to use it.

Bring it All Together

- Step 19 - Get the Frosting in a Piping Bag

Once your cake and filling are completely cooled place your frosting into a piping bag.

- Step 20 - Cut the Lychee Cake in Half and Add Filling

Cut your cake in half and place the top half to the side.

Pipe a rig of frosting around the edge of your cake and fill the middle with filling.

I did not use all my filling, but you can use that filling for pretty much anything - cupcakes, cookies, and such.

- Step 21 - Place the the Top of the Cake in Place

Place the top of the cake back in place to sandwich the filling between the two halves.

- Step 22 - Add the Frosting all Around the Cake

Add frosting all around the cake. you can pipe it on or use a knife to add it on.

Do as your wish, it can look however you like.

I just zigzagged frosting with my piping bag over the cake.

- Step 23 - Add Decoration as Needed - Optional

You can add decorations if you like or eat it as it is. I made little fondant flowers to placed them on top of the cake to add a little color.

I used "Miss Tam Chiak's" cake recipe because I have never used lychee before, but I was surprised how moist and favorable this cake was and then adding the buttercream and pineapple made this cake absolutely dreamy.