4 LAYER PINEAPPLE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING FROM SCRATCH

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE
-20oz can crushed pineapples in 100% juice
-3 ¾ cups all purpose flour
-2 tsp baking powder
-3/4 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 ½ cups (3 sticks) butter (room temp)
-1/2 cup brown sugar (packed into 1/2 cup)
-2 cups granulated sugar (that’s regular white sugar)
-5 large eggs (room temp)
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tsp lemon extract
-1 ½ cups buttermilk (room temp)
-2 TBS pineapple juice (reserved from crushed pineapples)
-shortening to coat cake pans
-1/4 cup all-purpose flour to dust pans
-4 (9 inch) cake pans
-mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer with beaters and large bowl
-spatula
-sifter or large wire strainer

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CAKE
-Pre-heat the oven to 350
-Prepare the cake pans with shortening and flour
-Strain pineapple juice and keep juice in a separate bowl from the crushed pineapples.
-Measure 4 Tablespoons of pineapple juice from the main juice and put the 4 Tablespoons in a separate bowl.
(Only use 2 Tablespoons of pineapple juice for cake.
-Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside
-Place the butter into the mixing bowl and beat on high about 1 minute,, until creamed.
-Add the brown sugar and the granulated sugar and beat on high about 3 to 4 minutes or until the ingredients are mixed well and creamy.
-Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times while blending.
-Once the batter is blended, add the eggs one at a time. Blending on medium speed after each addition.
-Once the eggs are mixed in, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
-On medium speed, blend in the vanilla extract, lemon extract, and 2 Tablespoons of pineapple juice.
-DO NOT OVER MIX THE NEXT STEPS. THE END RESULTS SHOULD BE CREAMY BUT SOMEWHAT THICK. LIKE PANCAKE BATTER.
-With the mixer off, add about 1 cup of the flour mix first and turn the mixer on low.
-While the mixer is on low, add ½ cup of butter milk.
-Turn mixer off. Scrape the bowl and add another 1 cup of the flour mix. Continue mixing.
-Add another ½ cup of buttermilk and mix.
-Continue pattern, ending with flour.
-Mix everything on low a few seconds and then scrape down the bowl.
-Pour two cups of batter in each pan.
-Spread the batter to the edge of the pan with a spatula.
-Tap the pans with the cake inside a few times to level the batter.
-Place the pans in the oven on a rack in the middle of the oven.
(Cook two cakes at a time if necessary)
-Bake the cakes for 20 minutes.
-Test the cakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick comes out with no batter stuck to it, the cakes are done. If there is batter stuck to the toothpick, bake 5 more minutes and re-test.
-Make sure NOT to overbake the cakes.
-Once the cakes are done, place on a rack.
-Cool the cakes completely in the pans about 1 hour.
-Once the cakes are completely cooled, run a butterknife around the edge of the inside of the cake pan.
-Turn the cake over on to the cooling rack.
-WHILE THE CAKES COOL IN THE PANS, MAKE THE PINEAPPLE FILLING AND THE FROSTING

INGREDIENTS FOR PINEAPPLE FILLING
-1 cup of granulated sugar
-3 TBS of corn starch
-3/4 cup (aprox) Remaining, reserved pineapple juice (There should still be 2 TBS saved for frosting in a bowl from the cake ingredients)
¼ cup of water
-Reserved, drained, crushed pineapples from 20 ounce can (cake recipe)
-small pot
-spoon
-bowl

DIRECTIONS FILLING
-Mix pineapple juice and water together in a cup or bowl (this should equal 1 measuring cup altogether).
-Turn heat to medium high
-Pour sugar and corn starch in the small pot on the stove.
-Stir sugar and corn starch until mixed. A few seconds.
-Pour the pineapple juice and water mixture in the pot and stir until most of the lumps are gone.
-Turn the heat to medium low and add crushed pineapples.
-Stir the pineapple filling until it thickens, about 3 or 4 minutes.
-After it thickens, transfer the filling to a bowl to cool.

INTREDIENTS FOR THE CREAM CHEESE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING
-8oz full fat cream cheese softened (the kind in brick form)
-1 stick butter (regular salted butter is fine)
-4 cups powderd sugar, sifted
1/8 tsp salt (small pinch if you don’t have 1/8 measuring spoon)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBS pineapple juice (that was saved from the cake recipe)

DIRECTIONS FOR FROSTING
-Beat the cream cheese and butter on high until creamed together.
-Turn off mixer and pour 1 cup of powdered sugar in the bowl.
-Mix on low.
-Repeat adding sugar 1 cup at a time.
-After all of the sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla extract and mix on low.
-Next add the salt and mix.
-Add the 2 Tablespoons of pineapple juice and mix.
(If the frosting is too stiff, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time and mix. If the frosting is too loose, add more powdered sugar 1Tablespoon at a time.)
-Mix the frosting with a spatula or spoon.

*TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE, PLEASE FOLLOW THE STEPS IN THE VIDEO.

**BEST TO REFRIGERATE LEFTOVER CAKE. BRING TO ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE EATING.