The Dole-not-Libby's Pineapple Cake; or, How Our Test Kitchen Went from Canned to Fresh, Despite the GGIE’s Fetching Recipe Pamphlet

Food company pamphlets from the Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939

For this test kitchen post, I decided to pull a recipe from the Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE) ephemera files, which contains a folder called SF. Fairs and Festivals. Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE). Food and beverages, 1939. Inside this folder are promotional pamphlets (and a few napkins) from food corporations who exhibited at the fair. These pamphlets contain recipes featuring the company's products. The set published by Libby's has one for fruit juices, with a recipe for Pineapple Cake.

Libby's recipe pamphlets from the GGIE, 1939

Libby's recipe pamphlet, 1939

                                                

When I went to my neighborhood corner store to pick up some Libby's pineapple juice, the closest match I could find was fresh pineapples. Dole pineapples! So, feeling a traitor to the advertising, but also feeling very 21st century San Franciscan in my reversion from processed to whole foods, I bought the Dole pineapple.

At home, I cut and crushed the pineapple (using a potato masher), and poured off the juice, then baked the cake:

PINEAPPLE CAKE

 1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Libby's Pineapple Juice
1/4 cup water
4 egg whites

Cream shortening and sugar well. Add egg yolk and beat. Sift dry ingredients together. Add alternately with diluted Pineapple Juice to first mixture. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and ½ teaspoon grated lemon rind if desired. Bake in two layers. Cool and frost.

Time: 30-45 minutes

Temperature: 350 degrees

then boiled (yes, boiled) the frosting. Boiled frosting takes a lot of stirring.

PINEAPPLE FROSTING

2 unbeaten egg whites

1 1/2 cup sugar

5 tablespoons Libby's Pineapple Juice

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Place all ingreadients in top part of double boiler over briskly boiling water. Beat constantly with rotary beater until mixture holds a peak. (About 7 minutes). Remove from fire. Add 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind if desired and beat until thick enough to spread. Frost cake.

Here is the resulting cake, garnished with a bit of pineapple in the shape of a poorly-formed heart:

Libby's Pineapple Cake made with a Dole fresh pineapple, 2013