Pineapple and coconut cake

This recipe has been a challenge, because I wanted to participate in the Helios cooking contest and for that, to make a rich dessert with a jar of pineapple jam, so this has been the result, and the truth is that it has been a surprise! pineapple and coconut cake with a very tropical flavor but at the same time with the perfect touch of butter and a creamy filling, to be served with a hot coffee or tea on an autumn afternoon.

INGREDIENTS:

100 gr sugar
150 gr of butter
150 gr pastry flour
2 eggs
1/2 sachet of baking powder
a dash of vanilla essence
1 pinch of salt
1/2 can of pineapple jam (about 170 gr) + 2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons of water
40 gr of grated coconut
200 gr whipping cream
20 gr of powdered sugar

FROSTING INGREDIENTS: (optional)

200 gr butter
200 gr cream cheese
200 gr of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of food coloring

STEP BY STEP RECIPE:

With the help of a food processor, pulverize the 100 grams of sugar. Add the butter, salt and vanilla and beat, either by hand or with the help of a whisk or food processor, until creamy.
Add the eggs one by one and beat.
Add the flour and baking powder and beat, then the coconut and beat.
Finally, add half a jar of pineapple jam and the water.
Preheat the oven to 180ºc and grease with butter a mold of 18 cm in diameter and sprinkle a little flour (so it does not stick and we can unmold it well). Pour the dough and bake for about 35/40 minutes. Never open the oven before 20 minutes of baking, about half an hour you can open and prick to see if it is done, you will know if the knife comes out clean and not with traces of dough on it.
Allow to cool. In the meantime we can whip the cream with the powdered sugar and leave in the refrigerator.
We also prepare the frosting. This part is optional, the cake will look beautiful and will give it an even creamier touch, but if you prefer, you can sprinkle the cake with a little powdered sugar and that's it. With the help of a food processor again or with a whisk, beat the butter, sugar and cheese until you obtain a cream. We distribute this cream in three bowls, and in each one we put a little coloring, a little more in bowl 2 and a little more in bowl 3, to obtain 3 different shades of colors. I have used green because it evokes me the tropical freshness of pineapple and coconut, but it is ideal with yellow (which I did not have) the pink .... Let it in the refrigerator.
Once cooled, unmold the cake, and with the help of a long knife or a cake cutter, cut the cake horizontally in two, that is, in two circular plates.
Dilute two tablespoons of marmalade in a saucepan over medium heat, with a splash of water. With a kitchen brush, we brush the base of our cake with this syrup or pineapple juice.
Spread the cream over this base and place the other part of the cake on top.
Finally, we need a piping bag and a curly herringbone nozzle. Put the frosting in the piping bag. We are going to decorate the cake with roses. To do this, make spirals of two turns, from the center outwards. Start with the strongest color on the sides, then the intermediate and finishing with the faintest color on the top. Ready!