PINA COLADA PINEAPPLE CAKES

Steps:

• To make yellow pieces:.
• Place the yellow candy melts into a medium, heatproof bowl.
• Fill a small pot of water with a 2-inch depth of water. Set over a low heat with the bowl of yellow candy melts on top. Stir until the yellow candy melts have melted and are smooth. Remove from the heat.
• Drop a small dollop (about 1/4 to 1/8 tsp) of the melted candy melt onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a small, offset spatula make a brushstroke motion over the dollop of candy melt to spread it out into a thin oval.
• Repeat this with all of the melted yellow candy melts - you may need to re-melt it in the bowl if it's starting to set.
• Chill for 15-20 minutes until set.
• To make green leaf crown top:.
• Place the green candy melts into a small, heatproof bowl.
• Fill a small pot of water with a 2-inch depth of water. Set over a low heat with the bowl of green candy melts on top. Stir until the green candy melts have melted and are smooth. Remove from the heat.
• Drop a small dollop of green candy melt onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Use a brushstroke motion (similar to before, but in a longer motion to make a longer stripe) to make one thin, long leaf. Repeat with dollops of candy melt close together, connecting them at the base, to make the green leaf crown.
• Repeat with the green candy melts to make a total of 6 crowns.
• Chill for 15-20 minutes until set.
• To make pineapple cake:.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two quarter-sheet pans (9 x 13 inches).
• In a large bowl, mix the white cake mix, half the vanilla pudding mix, all of the vegetable oil, the 4 eggs, the water and half of the rum.
• Drain the crushed pineapple but reserve the juice. Add half of the crushed pineapple to the cake batter along with all of the shredded coconut. Fold together to combine.
• Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans, spreading out into even layers. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Let cool completely before assembly.
• To make the frosting:.
• In a large bowl combine the remaining crushed pineapple, remaining light rum, the reserved pineapple juice and remaining vanilla pudding mix, stirring until smooth and thickened.
• Fold in the thawed cool whip. Add the yellow food colouring and fold together to combine.
• Assemble:.
• Remove the cooled cake layers from the baking sheets. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to punch out 9 circles from each of the cake layers (so you have a total of eighteen 3-inch circles).
• Stack 3 cake circles on top of each other, sandwiching them together with 1 tbsp frosting between each layer. Repeat so you get six small 3-layer cakes.
• Use a serrated knife to carefully carve each small cake into a pineapple shape.
• Cover each small cake with frosting in an even layer.
• Cover with the chilled yellow candy melt ovals: start at the top of the cake, layering in rings going around the cake, allowing the candy melts to overlap slightly, until each cake is completely covered.
• Transfer the melted semisweet chocolate chips to a disposable piping bag. Snip off the very tip so you have a tiny opening. Pipe dots of dark chocolate randomly onto the yellow candy melts to represent the 'eyes' of the pineapple.
• Top each cake with one of the green candy melt crowns.
• Serve.
• NOTE:.
• Adding shredded coconut to your cakes will make it easier to trim into pineapple shapes - the coconut addition is not shown in the recipe video.