Buttery, crumbly shortcrust pastry encasing a golden, sweet-tart pineapple jam filling — Taiwan's most famous souvenir and a bite-sized masterpiece of baking precision.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Presentation Guide
Vessel: gift box or plate
Garnishes: powdered sugar dusting
Accompaniments: oolong tea, green tea
Instructions
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1
Make filling: cook chopped pineapple with sugar, maltose, and lemon juice over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 40-50 minutes until thick and jammy. Stir in butter. Cool completely.
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2
Cream softened butter with powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time.
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3
Sift in flour, almond flour, milk powder, and salt. Mix until just combined into a soft dough. Chill 30 minutes.
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4
Divide dough into 12 portions (about 25g each). Roll filling into 12 balls (about 20g each).
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5
Flatten each dough portion, wrap around a filling ball, and seal. Place seam-side down in pineapple cake molds.
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6
Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 25-30 minutes until golden. Cool in molds before removing. Best after resting 1 day.
Did You Know?
Taiwan produces over $400 million worth of pineapple cakes annually, and the pastry is so culturally significant that "Sunny Hills" brand sparked a revolution in 2008 by using 100% pineapple filling instead of the traditional wintermelon-pineapple blend.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- stand mixer
- pineapple cake molds
- oven
- baking sheet
Garnishing
powdered sugar dusting
Accompaniments
oolong tea, green tea
The Story Behind 鳳梨酥
Pineapple cakes evolved from traditional Chinese bride cakes in the early 20th century, adapted to use Taiwan's abundant pineapple harvest. The name "鳳梨" (pineapple) sounds like "prosperity arrives" in Hokkien, making them popular gifts. For decades, most pineapple cakes secretly contained wintermelon in the filling for cost savings, until a 2008 movement toward "tǔ fèng lí" (native pineapple) cakes restored authenticity and ignited a premium pineapple cake boom.
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