Pineapple Upside-down Cake

When the new year started, I planned the usual:  lose weight, develop better exercise habits, eat my veggies.  I also planned to post healthy recipes so you all could do the same.  But my gosh, who am I trying to fool?!  I love dessert!  Best!  And I do hereby declare, that until I'm either: 1) diagnosed diabetic, or 2) morbidly obese, I'm not going to stop making delicious treats for my friends and family and of course, me. 

A couple of years ago, some friends brought a Pineapple Upside Down Cake to my dinner party.  I had never had this particular dessert before, and it looked so thin and simple.  Oh, but when I tasted it, it did that thing to me.  That "I need a moment...BECAUSE I'M IN ANOTHER DIMENSION" thing.  They then explained to me how their neighbor developed her special way of making it and I listened as if my life depended on it.  Then I didn't make it for about 2 years. Typical for me because when something is as incredible as this cake is, I don't make it because I will eat it.  ALL of it, while the family is at school and work. Then they'll get mad cuz it's all gone and I'll get mad cuz I'm gonna gain weight and then everyone's unhappy!

Anyway, a few months ago when I finally decided to make it, I really had to reach back in my memory.  I did manage to remember bits and pieces of the recipe.  I've added a few things to it, and also made it a layer cake, so it now looks almost as grand as it tastes.  Here is what I've come up with.  Please try it, it's a winner.

Coconut Cake (revised)

Yesterday, I adjusted my original recipe so that the cake and frosting were more stable for easier assembly and serving.  My first version is amazing, but it'so light and fluffy it just doesn't hold together very well. 

While adjusting the recipe, the cakes came out of the oven and the bottoms looked a little brown and a bit crisp so I thought they would be too dry.  When I adjusted the frosting by adding butter, the texture looked almost grainy, so I thought that was a "fail" as well.

Everything tasted good though, so I put it together anyway and stuck it in the refrigerator to chill and planned to serve it after dinner.  I sufficiently warned my family that it wasn't going to be as good as the last two coconut cakes, so none of us expected much.  I WAS WRONG.  This cake is incredible and does indeed hold together much better.  Of course I increased the calorie content as usual, but when have I been known to care about calories?