Hawaiian Paradise Cake

Three layers of vivid sponge cake in the colors of guava, passion fruit and lime covered in whipped cream frosting. On top is a glaze, stripped in the same three colors. But the cake is more than just fun with food coloring, as each layer really does taste like the fruit it's emulating. My next door neighbor was turning 30 and she told me months ago that her favorite cake was the Paradise Cake from the King’s Hawaiian Bakery. I’ve never tried the cake but did some research online and decided to attempt it for her 30^th birthday. Happy Birthday Elaine!

Prep Time: 2 Hours

Total Time: 3 hours 

***The cake, frosting, and whipped cream can be made a day in advance

Batter:

2-3/4 cups cake flour
2/3 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup salad oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup guava juice concentrate, thawed, undiluted (Hawaii’s Own Guava Passion Orange)

1/4 cup mango juice concentrate, thawed, undiluted (Hawaii’s Own Mango Orange)

1/4 cup lime juice concentrate, thawed, undiluted (Albertson’s Limeade)
5 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-3 drops red food coloring gel, Lemon Yellow and Orange food coloring gel, and Electric green food coloring gel

Meringue:
7 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar

Baking the Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and lightly grease the bottom of three 9-inch round pans.

To make batter, sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Make a well in the center; add oil, water, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat with a spoon until mixture is smooth. Separate into 3 bowls about 1 cup each of batter. In one bowl add the guava + red food coloring, in the second bowl add the mango juice + yellow and orange food coloring, and in the third bowl add the lime juice and green food coloring. Set aside.

To make meringue, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar until stiff. Add the meringue, about ½ cup into each bowl of batter.

Gently fold batter into meringue until barely mixed. Pour into pans. About 1 ¾ cup into each pan. Bake 25-30 minutes, until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and invert on a rack to cool completely. Once it’s cooled you can store in the fridge until ready to frost.

Remove from pan gently. Cake may be cut in half lengthwise and frosted as two layers, using the filling and frosting below.

Guava, Mango, & Lime Topping

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Pinch salt
for 3 colors on top: Guava, Mango, and Lime:

3 ounces of Kern’s Nectar Guava

3 ounces of Kern’s Nectar Mango

3 ounces of Lime juice

1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 slightly beaten egg yolk
1 tablespoon butter (cut into thirds to place in each sauce pan)

***12-ounce can guava juice (Kern’s Nectar) if you only want to do one color on top

Directions:

Mix cornstarch with water to dissolve all lumps. Add salt, lemon juices and egg yolk. Separate into thirds and place in three different sauce pans. Add in each juice into each pan. Cook over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter. Spread when slightly cooled but still warm.

Whipped Cream & Frosting

1 cup whipping cream

¼ teaspoon of vanilla

1 peach sliced and skin removed

1 crate of about 10 strawberries, leaves detached

Directions:

Whip cream and vanilla for about 5 minutes on high until peaks form.

In a food processor, chop up peaches and blend in half of the whipped cream. Put that in a bowl to the side. In the food processor chop up strawberries and blend in the other half of the whipped cream.

Refrigerate whipped cream until ready to assemble the cake. You can do this step one day prior.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

½ cup (1 stick) of butter

8 ounce cream cheese

3 cups of powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Takes about 5 minutes. Put about 2 cups in a piping bag and let it chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes. This makes it easier to design your cake.

Use the remaining icing to smooth it around the sides of the cake with a frosting paddle.

Assembling the Cake:

Place green cake on a large plate or cake stand.

Smear the whipped cream with peaches all over the top of the green cake. Leave about 1 inch from the edges bare.

Place the yellow cake on top of the peach whipped cream.

Smear the whipped cream with the strawberries all over the top of the yellow cake leaving about 1 inch from the edges bare.

Place the red cake on top of the strawberry whipped cream.

Create your own design with the Guava, Mango, and Lime Topping. I did a orange baby circle in the middle, around that I did a medium green circle, and around the green circle I did a large guava pink colored circle. I added a little guava into the orange to design a heart. You can use a toothpick to make it pretty.

Use a frosting paddle and spread about 2 cups of frosting along the sides of the cake.

Use the remaining frosting in a piping bag and do a fun swirly design around the top edge of the cake.

I decorated the top with a Happy Birthday sign, a candle, and a cute butterfly.

Refrigerate the cake until ready to enjoy it!

http://www.kingshawaiianrestaurants.com/bakery/cakes/specialty-seasonal-cakes/

Adapted from:

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2000/01/12/features/request.html