pineapple marzipan cake

This delicious pineapple marzipan cake is the reincarnation of a tropical autumn. Marzipan, of course, is a staple of sweet autumn recipes, especially when the Holy Saint visits. The pineapple adds a sweet, tropical twist. The soft, moist, and sweet dough meets its crisp counterpart in the chocolate glaze, while the green chopped pistachios provide a striking color contrast and a subtle nutty crunch.

How to make pineapple marzipan cake?

This sweet indulgence is incredibly easy to make - so nothing will stop you!

Preparing the dough

First, gently melt the butter and preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). While that's happening, grease the springform pan and dust it with a bit of breadcrumbs.

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, and vanilla sugar.

Next, cut the marzipan into small cubes.

Once the butter has melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the eggs. Add the marzipan cubes and mix everything with a hand mixer until smooth. Then, fold this mixture into the dry ingredients.

Finally, drain the canned pineapple thoroughly. If you have pineapple rings, chop them into small pieces. Just before transferring the batter to the springform pan, gently fold the pineapple pieces into the dough.

Baking the pineapple marzipan cake

Pour the batter into the preheated oven and bake the cake for 35 minutes. To check if it's done, insert a knitting needle or a long skewer-it should come out clean, with no batter sticking to it.

Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Using a rack allows the bottom to cool faster with airflow.

After 5 to 10 minutes, once the cake has set enough, you can remove the springform ring. Let it cool completely before carefully removing the base.

Finishing the pineapple marzipan cake

Now, all that's left is to finish the cake with the chocolate glaze and chopped green pistachios.

Melt the chocolate glaze au bain-marie (in a warm water bath). Use a spatula to spread it evenly over the cake.

While the glaze is still slightly soft, sprinkle the chopped pistachios on top so they stick beautifully.

Let the cake rest for a moment, and your sweet tropical autumn treat is ready to enjoy!

What is marzipan?

We all know marzipan as the sweet treat that's everywhere during Saint Nicholas and Christmas period. But what exactly is it, and where does it come from?

Marzipan is actually quite simple, made from just two ingredients: sugar and almonds. These are ground together into a dough-like mixture. There are two methods for making it:

• Cold method: With this approach, the almonds and sugar are ground into marzipan without any additional heating. This preserves the best flavor, but the downside is that it has a limited shelf life and requires very hygienic preparation.
• Hot method: This method is faster and results in a longer shelf life, making it more suitable for industrial production. So, the marzipan you buy in stores is usually made this way.

Just like the Good Saint himself, marzipan made its way to our regions from the East during the Middle Ages. Interestingly, December 6th wasn't just a special day for children back then-it was also a kind of Valentine's Day. After all, Saint Nicholas was the patron saint of unmarried women and lovers. On his name day, young men could declare their love to unmarried women with a piece of marzipan.

I remember once making chestnut jam at home when I was younger. My first thought when I tasted it was, "This tastes like marzipan!" That's not so surprising, really. It's also packed with sugar, and, like almonds, chestnuts are nuts. In this case, it was made using the hot method.

You can find some great recipes for making your own marzipan here:

• Best homemade marzipan (Simply recipes).
• Easy homemade marzipan (Tasty at home).
• How to make marzipan (My German recipes).

More surprising.pineapple

Pineapple isn't just delicious, sweet, and juicy-it's also incredibly versatile in the kitchen. For more inspiration, check this out:

• No-bake Batida pineapple cheesecake.
• Pork curry with pineapple and bell pepper.
• Breaded meatballs in yellow-green.
• Tenderloin mini steaks with rice and pineapple.
• Sweet and salt pineapple bites.

If you speak Dutch, you can find the Dutch version of this recipe on gerechtenweb.blog.