Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes (Fengli Su)

About This Recipe

Pineapple cakes (fengli su) are Taiwan's signature sweet export, small rectangular pastries with a rich, buttery, slightly crumbly shortbread exterior wrapped around a dense, tangy-sweet pineapple filling. The name carries a bit of wordplay in Taiwanese Hokkien, where 'pineapple' (ong-lai) sounds similar to a phrase meaning 'prosperity arrives,' making these cakes a popular gift for weddings, business openings and Lunar New Year celebrations. The filling is the real technical challenge: fresh pineapple is cooked down for a long time with sugar until nearly all its moisture evaporates and it becomes a thick, jammy paste concentrated enough to hold its shape when wrapped in pastry — rushing this step leaves a filling too wet, which then leaks and makes the pastry soggy. Some traditional versions blend in a little winter melon to soften the pineapple's acidity and stretch the filling, a practice still used by many bakeries today, though this version uses pure pineapple for a more assertively tangy result. The pastry itself uses a good amount of butter and sometimes ground almond or milk powder for tenderness, pressed into small rectangular molds around the cooled filling before baking until just golden — restraint on baking time matters since overbaking dries out the delicate shortbread.

Ingredients

Serves 12

• 1 largefresh pineapple(peeled, cored, finely chopped)
• 0.5 cupsugar(for filling)
• 1 tbsplemon juice
• 2 cupsall-purpose flour
• 0.25 cupmilk powder
• 0.75 cupbutter(softened)
• 0.33 cuppowdered sugar
• 2egg yolks
• 0.25 tspfine sea salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the pineapple filling

   Simmer chopped pineapple, sugar and lemon juice in a wide pan over medium-low heat, stirring often, for 45-60 minutes until reduced to a thick, jammy paste that holds its shape.

   The filling should be dry enough to roll into a ball without sticking to your hands — rushing this step leaves too much moisture, which will make the baked pastry soggy.

2. 2

   Cool the filling

   Spread the filling on a plate to cool completely, then divide and roll into 12 small balls.

3. 3

   Make the pastry dough

   Cream butter and powdered sugar until light. Beat in egg yolks, then fold in flour, milk powder and salt until a soft dough forms.

4. 4

   Assemble the cakes

   Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Flatten each, place a pineapple filling ball in the center, and wrap the dough around it, sealing completely. Press into rectangular molds if using.

5. 5

   Bake

   Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 18-20 minutes until just golden — do not overbake, as the shortbread pastry dries out quickly.

6. 6

   Cool and serve

   Cool completely in the molds before removing, as the pastry is very delicate while warm.

Variations

• •

  Blend in a small amount of cooked winter melon with the pineapple for a milder, more traditional filling used by many Taiwanese bakeries.

• •

  Add a touch of ground almond to the pastry for extra tenderness and flavor.

• •

  Make mini bite-sized versions for a party platter instead of the standard rectangular size.

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks; the pastry is best enjoyed within the first few days for optimal texture.

Frequently Asked Questions