Pineapple Cake

It's funny how after a few days (or a whole season) of cold days how the walls of your home seems to get smaller and smaller.  I've been dreaming up island getaways to escape to or a place to at least defrost!  Sadly a trip to Hawaii isn't in my near future but after eating some of this cake I feel like I brought a little bit of island life to me!

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 and 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
2 cups Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla
4 Tbsp. Honeyville's Powdered Whole Eggs (just the powder)
3 cups Honeyville's Freeze Dried Pineapple (not hydrated)
2 and 1/2 cups Hot Water (I just used hot water from the tap)
1/2 cups Pecans, chopped

Topping:
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla

Directions:
Start first by hydrating your Freeze Dried Pineapple with the Hot Water.  I recommend doing this in a blender because you'll want to mash up the pineapple a bit later.  Let sit 5-10 minutes.  In a bowl combine Sugar, Flour, Baking Soda, and Whole Egg Powder.  Add Vanilla to Pineapple and blend.  You'll only need to blend for 5-10 seconds-I just wanted the consistency like a can of crushed pineapple.  Pour the pineapple mixture over the dry ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Pour batter into a 9x13 pan (I did not grease the pan before baking). Sprinkle with Pecans.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. 

Start making the topping once you pull out the cake from the oven.In a saucepan over medium heat melt Butter.  Add Sugar and Evaporated Milk.  Once combined, cook for 6 minutes, stirring often.  After the 6 minutes take off heat and stir in Vanilla.  Poke a some holes in the cake (I just stabbed at it with a knife several times).  Pour the topping over the cake, spreading around where necessary to cover everything.

Okay guys, seriously this cake is GOOD!  Like so good I left a fork in the cake pan so I could sneak a bite or two or however many I wanted while I did dishes.  Confession I might have danced a little while eating it too.  It turned out to be the perfect little island getaway my afternoon could afford :).  The cake was super moist, thick, chewy and full of flavor.  Yummy! 

Now if you don't have Honeyville's Powdered Whole Eggs, you can still make this recipe.  Just add 2 large eggs to the pineapple mixture before pulsing and decrease the water to only 2 cups when hydrating the pineapple.  I think some shredded coconut would be really good added to the topping after it cooks.  This recipe is a great way to use those smaller bits of pineapple that you get toward the end of the can. 

Okay I might go and eat some more of this for breakfast.

Happy Eating!

So I really did go and eat some of this cake with breakfast (and lunch) and I think I like it best served warm.  Enjoy!