Recipe information
Yield
Serves 6 generously
Ingredients
For cake layer
Preparation
Make cake layer:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil bottom and sides of a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan and line bottom and sides with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a food processor finely grind nuts with flour and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together eggs and sugar until thick and pale and mixture forms a ribbon when beaters are lifted (about 10 minutes with a standing mixer or about 15 with a hand-held mixer). Fold flour mixture into egg mixture gently but thoroughly. Spread batter evenly in jelly-roll pan and bake in middle of oven until golden and springs back when lightly touched, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool cake layer in pan on a rack. Cake layer may be made 3 days ahead and kept wrapped well in plastic wrap at cool room temperature.
Step 3
In a food processor pulse undrained pineapple 3 seconds. Drain pineapple in a sieve set over a bowl (you will have about 2 cups) and reserve juice for another use.
Assemble trifle cake:
Step 4
Invert cake layer onto a work surface and peel off parchment. With a long serrated knife trim layer to form a 14 x 7-inch rectangle, reserving trimmings. Halve rectangle crosswise to form two 7-inch squares and carefully halve squares horizontally (for a total of four 7-inch squares). Horizontally halve reserved trimmings.
Step 5
Put 1 square on a cake plate. With a spatula spread 1/2 cup pineapple evenly over square. Top pineapple with 1/2 cup sabayon, spreading evenly. Make more layers in same manner with remaining 3 squares, pineapple, and sabayon, ending with sabayon. Piece together enough reserved trimmings to form a fifth square over sabayon. Chill cake, covered, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Step 6
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream with sugar until it just holds soft peaks and with a spatula spread whipped cream over top and sides of cake. Cake may be fully assembled 1 day ahead and chilled in a cake keeper or covered with an inverted bowl. Bring cake to room temperature before serving (about 30 minutes).
