Pineapple Macadamia Nut Cake with Key Lime Curd

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Typically, I refer to the things I bake in mini loaf pans as “bread” – banana bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, etc. Let’s be clear, though. This is cake, not bread. Deb of Smitten Kitchen recently discussed the fine line between, as she put it, “Acceptable for Breakfast” and “Nope, This Is Dessert,” and I defer to her judgment, especially in this case, given that this bread cake (ugh! I keep slipping up and doing that!) is based on a recipe she created, called Grapefruit Yogurt Cake.

This cake is a little slice of tropical paradise. I whipped up some key lime curd to swirl throughout the batter, used crushed pineapple in place of some of the oil from the original recipe (substituting applesauce is a more traditional move, but using pineapple works just as well), and threw in some macadamia nuts, and the result? A deliciously moist yet fluffy cake with a smooth crunchiness (is that an oxymoron?) from the macadamia nuts and a hint of tang from the lime curd. *swoon*

That said, taking these pictures was NOT a little slice of tropical paradise. I really hope you like the photos, because I nearly got frostbite in the process of taking them. Up until now, I’d been using an old flood lamp that my grandfather used for home videos, but it finally decided it had had enough and promptly ceased to work, juuuuust when I had things arranged to my liking and had found a good angle. D’oh. The only other artistically-viable option was to move things outside onto the balcony for what remained of the afternoon’s natural lighting. And uh, I live in Michigan. If you’ve been living under (a very warm) rock lately and haven’t heard about the nasty cold weather sweeping much of the country, I’ll fill you in: it’s #@$&-ing cold! After 4 minutes of standing outside in very windy 20-below conditions, I had satisfactory photos but no sensation in two of my fingers. Several hours later, and they almost feel normal, but still not quite.

At least I have cake, though. And now I’m going to go have a slice of cake and think about buying some new lighting equipment.

Pineapple Macadamia Nut Cake with Key Lime Curd

2016-01-18 17:29:30

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Prep Time

45 min

Cook Time

35 min

Total Time

2 hr 20 min

Prep Time

45 min

Cook Time

35 min

Total Time

2 hr 20 min

Key lime curd

1/2 cup key lime juice
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cut into cubes

Cake

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 cup lime yogurt (I use Oikos Greek yogurt)
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

Lime curd

In a medium heat-proof bowl, combine lime juice, sugar, and beaten eggs. Whisk until smooth.
Put 1-2 inches of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add butter/margarine to the heat-proof bowl and place the bowl on top of the saucepan. Whisking frequently, cook until the curd is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Let the curd cool for 5-10 minutes, then place a layer of plastic wrap over the surface (this will prevent a “skin” from forming) and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 mini loaf pans.
In the bowl of a mixer, combine sour cream, yogurt, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Once combined, add to the wet ingredients in the mixer bowl. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add vegetable oil, crushed pineapple, and pineapple juice, and mix until combined. Gently fold in 1/2 cup of chopped macadamia nuts.
Divide half of the cake batter between the 3 loaf pans. Top batter with a few spoonfuls of lime curd (I put the lime curd in a plastic bag, cut a hole in the corner, and squeezed a few squiggly lines in each pan). Add remaining batter to the pans. Sprinkle the remaining chopped macadamia nuts on top and add a few more spoonfuls of lime curd. Use a chopstick or the back of a spoon or fork to swirl the batter slightly.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden. Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove from pans and let cool fully on a wire rack. Slice and spread with extra lime curd if desired.

Notes