Pineapple Pastry (Pakistani Bakery Cream Cake Slices)
پائن ایپل پیسٹری
Pineapple pastry is the slice of cake that fills the glass counters of Pakistani bakeries: soft sponge drenched in pineapple syrup, layered with light whipped cream and chunks of tinned pineapple, and finished with a shiny yellow glaze and a cherry. It's the birthday treat, the guest treat and the "just because" treat. This home version is made as one tray cake and cut into neat slices, so there's no fiddly assembly.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 5 min
- Prep: 40 min
- Cook: 25 min
- Medium
- Serves 12
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Heat the oven to 175°C and line a 23 × 33 cm tray. Beat the eggs and sugar for 7–8 minutes until thick and pale, then fold in the flour, baking powder and vanilla. Bake for 20–25 minutes and cool completely.
Whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Chop the pineapple into small pieces.
Slice the sponge in half horizontally. Put the bottom layer back in the tray, soak it with half the pineapple syrup, spread with half the cream and scatter with pineapple. Add the top layer, soak with more syrup and spread with the remaining cream.
For the glaze, simmer ½ cup of the remaining syrup with the jelly powder or cornflour and colour until clear and glossy. Cool slightly, spread thinly over the cream and chill for 4 hours.
Cut into rectangles with a hot, wet knife, top each with a cherry and serve cold.
Kitchen notes
Use tinned pineapple, not fresh. Fresh pineapple contains an enzyme that breaks down cream and gelatine.
Soak the sponge generously but evenly; the syrup is what makes bakery pastry so moist.
Wipe the knife between cuts for clean slices.
The bakery counter classic
Pineapple pastry is the most recognisable item in a Pakistani bakery’s glass cabinet: a neat rectangle of white cream and yellow glaze with a red cherry on top. It’s the go-to treat for birthdays, guests and small celebrations, and for many it’s the taste of childhood visits to the bakery.
Moist sponge, light cream
The secret of bakery pastry is the soaking: a light sponge drenched in syrup from the tin of pineapple, so it’s moist and flavoured all the way through. Whipped cream keeps it light, and a thin glaze made from the same syrup gives the glossy finish.
A note on pineapple
Always use tinned pineapple for cream cakes. Fresh pineapple contains an enzyme (bromelain) that breaks down dairy and gelatine, making the cream watery and the glaze refuse to set. Canning deactivates it.
Serving
Serve chilled with tea or coffee. For other bakery classics, try cream rolls and tea cake.
Questions people ask
Can I use a ready-made sponge?
Yes. A plain sponge cake from a bakery or supermarket, sliced in half, saves time.
How long does it keep?
2 days in the fridge. Whipped cream softens after that.
Can I make it as a round cake?
Yes. Bake the sponge in a 20 cm round tin and assemble the same way for a pineapple cake.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 280
- Protein
- 5 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
