Pineapple Rum Cake

Rum-soaked vanilla chiffon with pineapple jam, dulce de leche & mascarpone chantilly

Pineapple Rum Cake

This is my take on a classic Chilean cake I grew up eating. Pineapple and dulce de leche are a beloved combination in Chile, and while there are many versions, this is my preferred way to make it. Instead of a traditional genoise, I use a light vanilla chiffon cake. I also add a layer of pineapple jam for maximum fruit flavour and fold mascarpone into the chantilly cream for extra stability and richness.

If you’ve never had pineapple jam before, take this as your sign to make it. It’s sweet, tart, intensely pineappley, and the perfect pairing for rum in this cake. I can also see it working beautifully in so many other pastries…or even just spread on toast!

For the decoration, I kept things simple. My cake baked with a slight dome, so I trimmed the top, cut the scraps into pieces, and toasted them in a 325°F (165°C) oven for about 7 minutes until golden and crisp. Once cooled, I blitzed them in a food processor to make cake crumbs and pressed them onto the sides of the cake.

It’s one of my favourite decorating tricks. Not only does it look beautiful, but it’s also a great way to use up cake scraps instead of throwing them away. You can do this with almost any cake and keep a container of cake crumbs in the freezer for future decorating projects.

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Pineapple Jam

You will also need 50–100g of fresh pineapple for filling the cake, so keep that in mind when preparing the pineapple for the jam. Be sure to set some aside before cooking the jam.

Ingredients

• 300–400g fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and very finely crushed

• 225g granulated sugar, divided (reserve 1 tablespoon to mix with the pectin)

• 15g powdered apple pectin (or any store-bought powdered pectin)

• 30g warm water

• 15g lime or lemon juice

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Prepare the pineapple

Finely chop the pineapple or pulse it in a food processor until very finely crushed. Measure out 300–400g and transfer it to a medium saucepan.

2. Cook the fruit

Add the 15g lemon juice and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 5–10 minutes. This step is important as it deactivates bromelain, the enzyme that can prevent the jam from setting properly.

3. Dissolve the pectin

In a small bowl, whisk together the 15g pectin and the reserved 1 tablespoon of sugar. Add the 30g warm water and stir until the mixture is smooth and fully dissolved. This helps prevent lumps and ensures the pectin disperses evenly throughout the jam.

4. Add the pectin

Stir the dissolved pectin mixture into the hot pineapple and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches a full rolling boil.

5. Add the sugar

Pour in the remaining sugar all at once and stir continuously. Bring the mixture back to a full rolling boil. Once boiling vigorously, cook for exactly 2 minute, stirring the entire time. Remove the saucepan from the heat immediately.

7. Cool or jar the jam

Skim off any foam from the surface. If you’re making this jam to use the next day for cake assembly, simply transfer it to a clean container, let it cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools.

For longer storage, ladle the hot jam into a warm, sterilized jar, leaving about ¼ inch (6 mm) of headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, or allow the jam to cool completely and store it in the freezer.

Notes

• Fresh pineapple is best here, but very ripe pineapple will produce the sweetest, most flavourful jam.

• The jam will continue to thicken as it cools.

• If you prefer a smoother texture, blend the pineapple before cooking.

• Makes approximately 1½–2 cups of jam.