Coconut-Pineapple Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cans (8 oz. each) crushed pineapple in juice
• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 2/3 cup lemon-lime soda
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla Pineapple Filling (recipe below)
• Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)
• 2 cups flaked coconut

Directions

Heat oven to 350°. Grease 4 round pans, 9- x1½ inches. Line bottoms with waxed paper. Grease and flour waxed paper. Drain pineapple, reserving juice for cake and frosting, and reserving pineapple for filling. Beat butter in large bowl on medium speed until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir together soda pop and 1/3 cup of the reserved pineapple juice. With mixer on low speed, beat cake flour into butter mixture alternately with soda pop mixture, beginning and ending with cake flour. Beat in lemon extract and vanilla just until mixed. Pour into pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely. Make Pineapple Filling. Place 1 layer on cake plate; spread with ½ cup filling. Repeat with second, third, and fourth layers and remaining filling, leaving ½-inch edge on top. Make Cream Cheese Frosting. Frost side of cake; pipe decorative border around top edge of cake. Sprinkle coconut on side and top border of cake.
Pineapple Filling:
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Reserved pineapple juice
1 cup water
Stir together sugar and cornstarch in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in pineapple and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
Beat butter and cream cheese in large bowl on medium speed until blended. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough pineapple juice to make frosting spreadable.