Martinique Pineapple Rum Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Portions:10

(including chilling time) 3

Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3.
Grease three 23cm sandwich cake tins, line the bases with baking parchment, and flour the sides of the tins.
Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice, and cut the pineapple rings into 5mm dice.
Sift the plain flour, salt, and baking powder together three times and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the whipping cream to soft peaks using an electric mixer.
Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and caster sugar to the whipped cream and whisk until the mixture is thick, pale, and trebled in volume.
Gently fold in the chopped pineapple using a large metal spoon, followed by the sifted flour mixture, being careful not to deflate the batter.
Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared cake tins and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the cakes are golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Measure 200ml of the reserved pineapple juice and top it up to 250ml with water.
Pour the liquid into a pan, add the caster sugar, and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the white rum.
Let the syrup cool completely.

In a deep, heavy-based pan, combine 250g of the caster sugar with the water.
Using a sugar thermometer, cook the mixture over high heat until it reaches 118°C.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar in an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Once the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature, slowly pour it into the egg whites while whisking on low speed.
Increase the speed to high and whisk until the meringue cools to hand-hot temperature.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the softened butter cubes, whisking until the buttercream is smooth and silky.
Add a few drops of yellow food coloring and the vanilla extract, and mix until evenly colored.

Place the first sponge layer on a cake card or serving plate.
Using a pastry brush, soak the layer with the rum syrup.
Spread a 5mm-thick layer of buttercream over the soaked cake layer.
Repeat with the second and third sponge layers, soaking each with the rum syrup and spreading buttercream between them.
Coat the outside of the cake with a thin layer of buttercream using a palette knife, then chill the cake for at least 20 minutes to firm up.

Apply a final, thicker layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it neatly with a palette knife.
Press the grated white chocolate and chopped candied pineapple cubes onto the sides of the cake.
Mark the top of the cake with a criss-cross pattern using a long knife and place a pearl dragee at the center of each cross.