Pineapple Dole Whip Cake

So, Dole Whip is my all-time FAVORITE Disney snack. It can be any time of day, any season, any weather condition, and I'll still want a Dole Whip. Although, Dole Whip was definitely a life-saver during this hot, and I mean, HOT, summer in Orlando. 

But I know I'm not alone in this Pineapple Dole Whip obsession. So, for myself, and my fellow Dole Whip fans, I found a way to turn Dole Whip into a CAKE. 

Pineapple Dole Whip Cake

Ingredients:

1 Box White Cake Mix (Ingredients according to package instructions)

1 Can Coconut Milk (Full Fat)

1 C Simple Syrup

Pineapple Buttercream:

3 Sticks Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

6 C Powdered Sugar

1/3 C Pineapple Juice

Pinch of Salt

1. Prepare the Box of cake mix as the directions say, but replace the amount of water with the same amount of Coconut milk, and add an extra egg to the recipe to make it taste more like a "Bakery-style" cake. Split the batter in half, and bake in 2 glass bowls according to package instructions. (I used the bottom half of a Giant Cupcake pan, and turned one of the bottoms upside-down to make it look like a pineapple)
2. While the cake is cooling, prepare the simple syrup. Boil 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar until all of the sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool. (I added 2 oz of Malibu Rum to mine for adult tropical flare)
3. For the buttercream, beat the butter on medium speed until there are no lumps. Add the powdered sugar in 3 parts, incorporating well after each addition. Reduce the pineapple juice on the stove into a syrup. Add the pineapple syrup to the buttercream. Sprinkle in the salt. Add a few drops of yellow gel to give the butter cream that pineapple color.
4.  To assemble the cake, cut the cakes to even them out, and place one on the bottom with the cut side up, brush with simple syrup, and spread an even layer of buttercream. Place the second layer on top, cut side down, and brush the simple syrup around the sides of the rest of the cake. 
5. Spread a thin layer of buttercream evenly around the cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Assemble a piping tip with a small star tip and brush the inside with green food gel in 4 lines to create a pineapple effect.
6. Take the cake out of the fridge, and start piping the star tip on the bottom in horizontal lines and make your way up the cake.
7. Create a pineapple stem topper with construction paper and toothpicks, or cut the stem of a real pineapple and put it on top of the cake. Add a few sugar flowers or chocolate embellishments.