The Forgotten Canned Liquid Your Grandma Added To Poke Cakes For Extra Sweetness

Gustatory nostalgia is when food-related memories resurface, either when you get a whiff of baked cookies similar to a household staple from your childhood or when you eat a foreign dish that reminds you of your time abroad. Today, we're taking a trip to memory lane, and you might find nostalgia bubbling up with this sweetness booster. Canned pineapple juice, though not an elusive product in the modern age, doesn't seem to be a currently trendy ingredient that home bakers reach for. However, this forgotten canned liquid might even be the ingredient your grandma added to boost the sweetness of your dessert — it was typically found in a pineapple upside down cake. Unearth a family member's old cookbook, and you might find one of the nostalgic cakes you probably forgot existed. 

The sweet punctuation to the dessert is used as a luscious glaze by poking holes in a freshly baked cake, which also makes each bite moist and indulgent — a telltale sign of a successful slice. With the juice's bright and acidic notes, a poke cake with pineapple juice in it makes for a refreshing serving that can be the perfect centerpiece for afternoon teas. Or, you know, a random day could also work. Amateur bakers might even want to use pineapple juice for dump cakes to create a dessert worth writing home about. Whatever baked treat you plan on working with, make sure it can hold moisture to soak up the juice without turning overly soggy. 

To create an addictive glaze to add to your cake, you only need three ingredients: Butter, sugar, and of course, pineapple juice. Butter gives the glaze a creamier consistency, while sugar gives the perfect dessert-like taste. Pineapple juice, on the other hand, gives it another layer with its tangy-meets-sweet character. For each bite to taste consistent, you have to put these ingredients over medium-low heat, making sure to give it a nice whisk to blend smoothly. This also allows you to create the perfect velvety texture that the cake can easily soak up. Bundt cakes, the signature Minnesota dessert, are the perfect canvas — they were typically used with the glaze for their ability to hold moisture. To avoid the glaze getting burnt, move it to room temperature once the butter has completely dissolved and let it rest.

While biding your time, dot the cake with holes; a skewer or toothpick can work well here. Once the glaze has cooled down, steadily pour it onto the cake, allowing the glaze to spread evenly all over the dessert. Leave the cake undisturbed for 20 minutes to soak up the flavors, and only flip it over once the glaze has completely set. As an extra indulgent layer, you can even add whipped cream on top, which also adds a delightful texture, creating a more satisfying bite. A touch of pineapple chunks is perfect if you're a big fan of an extra tangy punch.