The delectable Hawaiian Crown pineapple upside-down cake
The finishing touches on Hawai‘i’s most elegant version of a Hostess Twinkie came together on Michelle Karr-Ueoka’s marathon 54-hour journey home from France. Karr-Ueoka, the James Beard-nominated pastry chef of MW Restaurant, had been coaching the U.S. team in the Bocuse d’Or culinary competition. She had already roughed out a version to honor Paul Bocuse, whose rum-soaked spongecake was legendary. That’s how a coconut-tinged Hawaiian Crown pineapple upside-down cake—a Twinkie-like spongecake filled with custard, soaked in barrel-aged Kohana Rum, and accompanied by compressed and caramelized pineapple and butter mochi ice cream—appeared on MW’s dessert menu. “It was an evolution. You know how you have a dessert and you’re happy with it, but you want to make it even better?” she says. “It’s coconut, macadamia nuts, rum—all the things I like to eat on one plate. And I like butter mochi.” 1538 Kapiolani Blvd., Ste. 107, Honolulu, 955.6506
Photography by: steve czerniak
