Pineapple Cake Recipe

Pineapple Cake is a tangy and tropical delight! This fruity cake is moist and tender, loaded with sweet and juicy pineapple bits. It’s so easy—it takes less than an hour to make it from scratch!

This tropical cake is the perfect summer dessert but can be served any time of the year with canned pineapples and another six common baking ingredients. Every forkful has a burst of juicy pineapples, and it is so easy to make that anyone can do it. With so much fruity flavor and moisture, this can be served at a party, a picnic, a potluck, or a family barbecue.

Pineapple Sheet Cake Recipe

Pineapple Cake is refreshing and loaded with sweet and juicy crushed pineapple. It also boasts the softest and most tender crumb! Never a summer goes by when I don’t bake this at least once for a potluck, picnic, or dessert. Top it with piles of whipped cream or decadent cream cheese frosting— it’s completely amazing!

For those who love pineapple, this is going to be a favorite homemade cake to make when the mood strikes because most of the ingredients are always on hand. Just keep a few cans of crushed pineapples around, and this dessert can be made in minutes. One of the best things about it is how easy it is to do with just a few steps: whisk, bake, and serve.

Also, the tropical flavor is so incredible that it can be made for a pool party, summer picnic, or a casual outdoor birthday party. It is also a wonderful reception cake because it is known as a good fortune wedding gift in Taiwan. But it is also delicious. Make a few and serve about 30 people! You can even decorate it to make it special. If there are leftovers, they can be frozen for several months so nothing goes to waste.

The kids love it when I serve this cake with my no-churn pineapple sorbet. This stuff is so simple to make in 15 minutes with five ingredients. But it has to be frozen for a few hours, so plan ahead of time. It is certainly worth the wait, and no ice cream maker is required. Pineapple cake with pineapple ice cream is the way to go! Get ready to be transported to a tropical paradise with your first bite!

Why you will love this recipe

• Because it is easy: Anything delicious and easy is perfect for me! Made with just 7 ingredients, this recipe is also budget friendly!!
• It is so fast: Takes less than 30 minutes to make.
• Simple cleanup: Easy to clean up after. Just one bowl! You can’t beat that!
• Feed a crowd: This is the perfect dessert to feed a crowd, as its easy to make and can be made in advance. The cake also freezes well.

What you’ll need to make pineapple cake

Special items

• Cake pan – I use a 9×13 cake pan.
• Bowls
• Cooking utensils

Ingredients:

• Crushed pineapple – I used a 20-ounce can of Dole crushed pineapple with juice (not syrup). Using pre-crushed canned fruit cuts down on the prep time. The sweet and tart juice adds more fruitiness and liquid to the batter.
• Large eggs – Make sure they are at room temperature for easier incorporation.
• White granulated sugar – Do not use powdered sugar.
• Packed light brown sugar – Dark brown sugar is good for a richer taste, to add color and to infuse this dessert with a subtle molasses flavor. 
• All-purpose flour – Cake flour would be too soft for this recipe.
• Baking soda – Adds texture, taste, and consistency. The main leavening agent, this gives fluffiness to the cake.
• Vanilla extract – Use pure extract, not the artificial flavoring. Goes really well with the tropical flavors!

How do you make pineapple cake from scratch?

1. Preheat and prepare: To start, preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a 9×13-inch cake pan with oil.
2. Whisk it: Now, whisk together baking soda, sugars, and flour in a large bowl. Then, stir in the pineapple (with the juice), vanilla, and eggs until it is all mixed.
3. Bake: Next, pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
4. Cool and serve: Finally, cool the cake completely and garnish before serving.

Expert tip

Why I do not use cake flour in this recipe

Cake flour is a great choice for cake recipes and baked goods that need to have a lighter and airier texture. All-purpose flour has 10 to 13% protein, while cake flour has half that, so it does not create as much gluten, resulting in a lighter crumb. Cake flour also absorbs less water than regular flour, making it much lighter and fluffier. All of these are excellent reasons for using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour when making this cake.

There are some reasons not to use it, though. For example, if this were a pound cake, bread, or pie crust, cake flour would not be a good choice. Chocolate cake is also not a good choice because the cocoa powder does not mix well with the cake flour since they are both light. Banana and carrot cakes are not great choices either because of the wet ingredients, which brings me back to this cake. This is why I DO NOT use cake flour in this recipe.

With so much crushed pineapple in the batter, I think the cake flour would just be too moist. It absorbs too much moisture to hold up to so much. Therefore, all-purpose flour would be the best choice here. If anyone decides to use cake flour for this recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments section.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Add fruit: Replace half of the pineapples with cherries or strawberries. Or simply add berries into the cake batter!
• Sprinkle on coconut: Add some toasted coconut on top for a tropical touch.
• Crunchy topping: Another way to top this delicious pineapple cake is with chopped macadamia nuts or candied pecans. You could also add some in the batter.
• Add nuts to the batter: Add some toasted and crushed pecan, walnuts, or almonds. Macadamia nuts are especially delicious in this dessert, especially if you add some white chocolate chips in the mix as well. Some almond or coconut extract will add a beautiful flavor.
• Infuse with spice: Kick up the flavors with a dash of nutmeg and powdered cinnamon.
• Make it healthier: Sneak in more nutrients by adding shredded carrots or zucchini. The recipe can also be made gluten-free if you use gluten-free flour.
• Pudding cake: Add a box of instant vanilla pudding to the cake batter to make it extra rich and moist.
• Decorate: Make it festive with rainbow sprinkles, candy topping, or pieces of fruit.
• Super easy: Want to make it even easier? Use pineapple or vanilla cake mix and then add pineapples.

Serving suggestions:

PiHere are some ideas my family loves:

• This is a wonderful dessert to serve after my instant pot Hawaiian chicken with pineapple fried rice.
• Make it a whole tropical theme with melon margaritas and the kids can have tropical smoothies.
• Need something besides pineapple to go with your cake? Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It goes with everything.
• This sweet cake pairs wonderfully with chardonnay, Moscato, or pinot grigio.

Frequently asked questions

What does the pineapple cake symbolize?

In Taiwan, the pineapple is a symbol of prosperity and luck and was traditionally given as a wedding gift. A pineapple cake is a popular gift for those starting off in their new lives as a wish for a happy and prosperous family. It is even more popular than the mooncakes given during the Lunar New Year as a wish for an affluent and fortunate year ahead. They can vary by region but are often small and rectangular, with pineapple as the main core.

What does not go well with pineapple?

There is a compound called bromelain in pineapple that, when mixed with milk, can cause nausea, gas, and stomach issues. But that is not all. Bromelain is also a troublemaker when it comes to making other recipes. It is an ingredient used in making meat tender so that it can mess up any dish with protein, such as icing, eggs, and cream cheese. It is recommended to use canned fruit instead of fresh when making Jello and other foods with protein in them. Or heat up the pineapple before using it.

Why is my cake so heavy and weighed down?

It sounds like it has syrup in it instead of juice. If the canned pineapples were packed with syrup instead of juice, not only would they cause the cake to be too sweet, but they would also make the cake extra heavy and dense. The whole cake may feel squishy and packed with too much liquid. Make sure the can says “packed in juice” instead of syrup, or this will be a problem. If you get home and notice this, drain them and rinse them off. Use pineapple juice instead of the syrup that came with it.

Can I use fresh pineapple?

I recommend canned crushed pineapple because it is so much faster and easier. Fresh fruit is great, but cutting a pineapple and getting to the fresh fruit can take a while. Then, making sure to get all of the core out of it before crushing it to make it smooth is a hassle. In addition, more juice will be needed because the juice is too thick with fibrous particles. So, I use Dole canned crushed pineapple in juice to make this cake.

Can I use pineapple juice instead of water in a cake mix?

Yes, it’s a trick I’m fond of when I’m in a rush and need a quick dessert! This hack is best when used with a boxed white or yellow mix. Simply replace the recipe’s liquid with equal parts juice.

How to store:

• Refrigerate: Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.   
• Freezing: To freeze, I recommend slicing into portions first. Doing so makes it easy to just pull one out to thaw and eat, but you can certainly freeze the entire thing. Wrap tight in plastic once completely cool, then store frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight and enjoy. 
• Defrost: Thaw frozen leftovers overnight in the refrigerator for the best taste and texture. 

More pineapple desserts:

Recipe tips:

• A toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean to pass the toothpick test.
• I recommend crushed pineapples instead of chunks because they add a nice soft texture throughout the cake. If they only have slices or chunks, use a food processor to crush them.
• Also, be sure to get the pineapple packed in juice and not syrup.
• Honestly, fresh pineapple takes too long and is too much work for this cake.
• Try to avoid milk with pineapple. It can cause unpleasant stomach issues.
• The pineapple symbolizes prosperity in Taiwan. This is a good cake for a wedding or anniversary.
• Using cake flour instead of regular flour can help make the cake softer but the crushed pineapple makes it too wet.