How to Make Pineapple Cake

Reviewed by Craig Watson

Last Updated: May 6, 2025

Pineapple cake is a delicious dessert. Its light and fluffy texture with refreshing taste brings a certain twist to the dessert. It’s a unique tasting cake that is not very common. This cake can be made with a few basic ingredients—most of which you probably have in your pantry—and some simple steps.

Ingredients

Cake

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
1 ¹/₂ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1 ¹/₂ teaspoon baking powder
¹/₂ teaspoon baking soda
¹/₄ teaspoon salt
1 stick (113 g) softened unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can (8 oz / 225 g) crushed pineapple
¹/₄ cup (60 ml) pineapple juice (from the can)
¹/₂ cup (60 ml) milk

Frosting

1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Shredded coconut (optional, for garnish)

Steps

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2
Prepare your cake pans. Grease and flour two 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pans.

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3
Gather your ingredients. These are listed in the "Ingredients" section.
4
Combine and whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5
Cream the butter and sugar. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the softened unsalted butter and sugar in a different bowl. Beat on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
6
Add eggs and vanilla extract. Starting with the eggs, add into the wet mixture one at a time. Beat well after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
7
Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. In alternating additions beginning with the dry ingredients, add the dry ingredients and the milk and pineapple juice from the can to the wet mixture.
8
Mix in the can of crushed pineapple to the batter. Fold gently until fully incorporated.
9
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
10
Bake the cake layers for 30-35 minutes. Allow cakes to cool completely before transferring onto wire racks.
11
Prepare the frosting in a chilled bowl. Beat heavy cream using a hand mixer or stand mixer on high speed. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the cream. Whip until soft peaks form.
12
Spread a layer of whipped cream frosting on top of the first cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting, then frost the top and sides of the entire cake.
13
Garnish and serve with coconut if desired.

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Tips

Add ¹/₂ teaspoon of coconut extract to the batter for a stronger tropical flavor.

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Substitute coconut milk for the regular milk for a richer taste and denser cake.

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If you're making whipped cream, chilling the mixing bowl and beaters beforehand can help the cream whip faster.

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Warnings

Ensure you drain the pineapple all the way before adding it to the batter because if not it can make the cake soggy.

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Overmixing can lead to a dense, tough cake.

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Make sure the cake layers are completely cool so the frosting doesn’t slide off the cake.

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