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Tropical Sunset Ombré Cake

A spectacular two-tiered coconut and pineapple cake decorated with pink-to-yellow ruffled ombré buttercream, complete with edible palm trees and a hammock.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 24 slices
Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: Summer, Tropical
Calories: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Coconut Pineapple Cake
  • 3.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar packed
  • 5 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp coconut extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 0.5 cup crushed pineapple well drained
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut toasted
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  • 2 cups egg whites fresh
  • 4 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 cups unsalted butter softened but cool
  • 2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 set gel food coloring pink, orange, peach, yellow
Decorations
  • 1 lb brown modeling chocolate for trees
  • 0.5 lb orange/peach modeling chocolate for fronds
  • 0.25 lb yellow fondant for hammock
  • 0.25 lb white fondant for flowers

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer
  • 8-inch and 6-inch cake pans
  • Piping bags with petal tip
  • Cake Turntable

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch and two 6-inch cake pans.
  2. Whisk dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, followed by extracts.
  4. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold in drained pineapple and toasted coconut.
  5. Divide batter between pans and bake for 35-45 minutes. Let cool completely.
  6. Prepare buttercream: Heat egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until 160°F. Whip into a stiff meringue, then gradually beat in butter and vanilla.
  7. Divide and color the buttercream into pink, orange, peach, and yellow.
  8. Level, stack, and crumb coat the 8-inch and 6-inch tiers separately. Chill. Insert dowels into the 8-inch tier and carefully stack the 6-inch tier on top.
  9. Using a petal tip, pipe continuous ruffles around the cake, starting with pink at the bottom and fading up to yellow at the top.
  10. Sculpt palm trees and hammock from modeling chocolate and fondant. Insert into the top tier and add white fondant flowers.

Notes

Ensure your cake layers are completely chilled before attempting to stack or crumb coat them to prevent sliding.