The Royal Hawaiian’s haupia cake is as pretty in pink as the hotel that it represents.
The cake itself is a white chiffon, but it’s layered with pink haupia, covered in pink-tinged whipped cream and dusted with pink coconut flakes. Hello Kitty, this dessert’s for you.
Robin Yamashita learned about the cake from her niece. “They were at the Royal Hawaiian last month for a staycation, and she was raving about it.” Auntie Robin would like to make it for the girl’s birthday in June.
Carolyn Portuondo, the hotel’s new executive pastry chef, came through quickly with the recipe, which was created by pastry chef Quirino Domingo.
The cake is served at the hotel’s Surf Lanai and Mai Tai Bar. It is also offered as a “welcome amenity,” which means you can have one delivered to a friend staying there.
The professional version comes in dainty 4- and 6-inch sizes. Portuondo suggests a larger 8-inch cake for serving at home.
She also offered a tip for cutting a cake into horizontal layers: Freeze it first. This makes it less crumbly and easier to handle.
More on this: Wrap your cooled cakes in plastic wrap, then freeze for a few hours or overnight. To cut the layers, first let the cakes thaw slightly. Use a long serrated knife to cut each cake in half horizontally. If you don’t trust your eye, measure the halfway point with a ruler and mark it at several spots around the cake with toothpicks, to guide your knife.
ROYAL HAWAIIAN PINK HAUPIA CAKE
- 8 ounces cake flour (about 1-3/4 cups)
- 6 ounces sugar (about 3/4 cup)
- 3/4 tablespoon baking powder
- 4 ounces vegetable oil (1/2 cup)
- 4 ounces egg yolks (about 5 large yolks)
- 5-1/2 ounces water
- >> Meringue:
- 8 ounces egg whites (from 7 large eggs)
- 4 ounces sugar (1/2 cup)
- >> Haupia filling:
- 1 12-ounce can coconut milk
- 4-6 tablespoons sugar
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 3/4 cup water
- 3-4 drops red or pink food coloring
- >> Topping:
- 1 quart heavy whipping cream
- 6 ounces sugar (3/4 cup)
- Red or pink food coloring
- Sweetened coconut flakes
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 8-inch baking pans (9-inch pans work, too). Line bottoms with parchment if desired.
Sift together cake flour, sugar and baking powder; set aside.
Whisk together oil, egg yolks and water; gradually add to dry ingredients, continuing to whisk until a smooth batter is created.
To make meringue: Whip egg whites until foamy, then gradually sprinkle in sugar. Whip until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold batter into meringue, stirring until no streaks of white remain. Pour into prepared pans and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on rack.
To make haupia filling: Combine coconut milk and sugar in pot; bring to a boil. Gradually whisk in cornstarch-water slurry. Mixture will thicken quickly. Add food coloring to create a pink color, and continue whisking as mixture bubbles for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour into separate container and let cool completely.
To make topping: Whip cream with sugar to form medium peaks. Add food coloring to create a pastel pink. Set aside.
Color coconut flakes with more food coloring.
Remove cake from pans and cut each 8-inch round into 2 equal layers, for a total of 4 layers.
Put cooled haupia in mixing bowl and beat until creamy.
Place 1 cake layer on serving plate. Top with a layer of haupia. Continue with more layers of cake and haupia to make 4 layers.
Cover the cake with pink whipped cream and sprinkle with coconut flakes.
Nutritional information unavailable.
