Ambrosia Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup pineapple juice

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

pinch of salt

16 ounces vanilla frosting

8 ounces cream cheese frosting

2 teaspoons orange juice

zest of half an orange

1 angel food cake, baked, cooled

2 cans (15 oz. ea) mandarin orange slices, drained

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple slices, drained and cut into quarters

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Pineapple Curd:

Bring juice from canned pineapple to boil. Whisk together eggs, yolk, and sugar in medium bowl. Add to pineapple juice, whisking continuously over medium heat until it becomes thick (3-4 minutes). Take off heat, stir in butter and salt. Pour in small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Cake:

Bake cake according to package directions. When cooled, slice horizontal into 3 even layers.

Take vanilla frosting, orange juice and orange zest; stir to combine.

Place bottom layer of cake on platter, spread 1/2 of orange frosting on bottom layer, top with mandarin oranges.

Place another layer of cake on top, spread pineapple curd over this layer and top with 4 slices of pineapple rings cut into 1/2.

Add third layer of cake, frost all around the sides with rest of orange frosting. Frost top with cream cheese frosting.

Layer 4 pineapple rings on top, cut into 1/4 and second can of mandarin oranges.

Press toasted coconut into sides and on top of cake.

HOMEMADE ENGLISH MUFFINS

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk

3 tablespoons honey

2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)

1 large egg

4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

5 and 1/2 cups bread flour

1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt

cornmeal for dusting

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Instructions

In a small saucepan, heat the milk and honey over low heat until it reaches 105-115ºF. Remove from heat, stir in the yeast, and set aside for 5 mins. Whisk in the egg and melted butter.

Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the dough hook attachment. with the mixer on low speed, gradually pour the milk mixture into the flour. Continue to beat on low until the flour is incorporated, stop and scrape down the sides and bottom as needed. Turn the speed up to medium and mix for 4 minutes, until dough is smooth and sticky.

Scrape the dough out into a lightly oiled bowl. Brush a little oil over the top of the dough. Cover and set in a warm pace to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, using as little flour as possible, gently knead the dough together. (The dough is very sticky. Add just enough flour to make it easy to handle.) Divide the dough in half. Divide each half into 8 equal sized pieces. (If you want smaller muffins, divide each half into 12 pieces.) Roll each piece into a ball and flatten then ball into a disk. Place the disks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper that has been dusted with cornmeal. Sprinkle more cornmeal over the tops. Cover with a lint-free towel and set in a draft-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Heat a griddle over medium-low heat. Gently lift each disk with a plastic spatula and place it on the griddle. (Handle the dough with care so you don't deflate it) Cook them for about 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned on both sides. Work in batches. Place the muffins back on the cookie sheet and bake them for 10 minutes.

Split the English muffins with a fork and serve warm with your favorite jam or butter. Muffins are good for up 5 days stored in an airtight container. Muffins can also be wrapped in plastic wrap, sealed in a zip-top bag, and frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

This recipe uses a stand mixer. If you don't have one, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon for mixing. Once the flour is well mixed in, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and knead it until it comes together, about 8 minutes. The muffins are quite large. If you would like smaller muffins, divide the dough into 24 pieces instead of 16.