4.09 from 12 votes

Pineapple Cake

Pineapple Cake is an incredibly moist cake with a hint of sweet pineapple taste. The topping is the BEST part with its buttery, nutty goodness.

Pineapple cake in a white pan.


This homemade cake is bursting with pineapple flavor. It’s tender, moist and sweet. If you love pineapple like me, you need to try this fruity cake.

I was originally thinking of making this cake with a can of fruit cocktail instead of pineapple. Ingredients have been harder to come by lately so instead, I decided to make a Pineapple Cake. I may do a Fruit Cocktail Cake down the road when I can pick up a can. 

I knew crushed pineapple would also work and I was right. This is one delicious pineapple cake! 

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    My favorite part, however, is the buttery nutty topping. I could eat the topping on its own sans cake! Combined together, it’s pure magic.

    The cake takes a while to bake in the oven. It’s about an hour and five minutes baking time. Don’t worry – the end result is SO worth it! Promise.

    Matty loved it and even ate some cake for breakfast the next day. Anyone else have dessert for breakfast?

    Why You’ll Love This Pineapple Cake Recipe

    • Made with canned pineapple so you can enjoy that lovely tropical flavor all year long
    • Simple ingredients
    • A real crowd pleaser for parties, summer barbecues and potlucks
    • Easy old-fashioned recipe like grandma used to make
    • The boiled icing is the BEST!
    • Made from scratch

    Ingredients

    • Eggs
    • Sugar
    • Crushed pineapple with juices – Use canned pineapple and don’t throw away the juice in the can!
    • Baking powder
    • Vanilla extract
    • All-purpose flour
    • Salt
    • Walnuts
    • Shredded sweetened coconut

    Glaze

    • Sugar
    • Half and half
    • Salted butter
    • Vanilla extract
    Pineapple cake ingredients.

    How to Make Pineapple Cake

    • Step One: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.
    • Step Two: In a large bowl, stir together eggs, sugar, crushed pineapple (with the juices), baking powder, vanilla, flour and salt. Pour the cake batter into the baking pan.
    Steps to make pineapple cake.
    • Step Three: Sprinkle walnuts and coconut on top.
    Steps to make pineapple cake.
    • Step Four: Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes or when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
    • Step Five: When the cake is almost ready to come out of the oven, start preparing the glaze. Add sugar, cream, butter and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
    • Step Six: Pour hot glaze over the hot cake and let cool on a wire rack.

    Equipment Needed

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    What to Serve with Old-Fashioned Pineapple Cake

    Though it’s an impressive dessert just on it’s own, you can complement with a few easy ideas.

    You’ll also like this Tornado Cake, Rhubarb Crumble Cake and Vanilla Cream Cheese Cake.

    Pineapple cake in a pan with a piece cut out.

    Variations and Substitutions

    • Use cream cheese frosting or vanilla frosting instead of the boiled glaze. Wait till the cake comes to room temperature before attempting to add the frosting.
    • After the cake has been baked, poke holes in the top of the cake and then pour the hot glaze on top. It will seep into the cake!
    • Use a round cake pans instead of square.
    • Try coconut extract instead of vanilla extract for a more tropical vibe. You could also use rum extract.
    • Substitute chopped pecan for the walnuts. You can also leave out the nuts if you aren’t a fan.
    • Add 1/4 cup of shredded sweetened coconut to the batter mixture for a tropical twist.
    • Mix 1/2 block of softened cream cheese or 1/2 cup of sour cream into the batter for extra richness.
    • Add 1/4 cup of grated carrots to the batter mixture to make a pineapple carrot cake.
    • Add 1/2 cup of mashed bananas to the batter mixture for a pineapple banana cake.
    A piece of pineapple cake on a serving spatula.

    Storage Instructions

    Cover the cake with plastic wrap and store it on the counter for 2 to 3 days. You can reheat it in the microwave if you wish and serve it warm.

    Can I Freeze?

    Yes, you can freeze this delicious cake! Let the cake cool to room temperature before wrapping it in plastic wrap. Wrap again in aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    To thaw, let the cake sit on the counter at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

    Recipe Tips & Tricks

    • Make sure to grease the cake pan so the cake doesn’t stick to the sides of the pan. You can also line the pan with parchment paper if you want to be able to easily remove the entire cake from the pan.
    • Don’t overmix the batter! Just mix until everything is combined. Overmixing causes the cake to be tough and dense.
    • Save the juice from the can of crushed pineapples! You’ll need it for the cake batter.
    • Use a toothpick or a cake tester to test for doneness. It should come out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.
    • After you’ve added the boiled icing, let the cake cool down! It will be too hot to eat and also quite messy.
    • Serve with tea or coffee for an afternoon snack or as the finish to a family dinner. Everyone loves this old-fashioned recipe!
    A piece of pineapple cake a plate with a bite out of it.

    FAQ

    Can I use fresh pineapple instead?

    Yes, you can use fresh pineapple if you prefer. I would chop it up small so you’re not overwhelmed with huge chunks of pineapple in your first bite. You’ll also need to add 1/4 cup of pineapple juice concentrate along with the fresh pineapple.

    What kind of frosting goes well with pineapple cake?

    Though I ADORE the boiled glaze that I use in this recipe, you can try other kinds of toppings. You could try cream cheese frosting, whipped cream frosting, vanilla or coconut buttercream frosting or coconut cream frosting.

    A piece of pineapple cake on a plate with a fork.

    Pineapple Desserts

    You’ll also love Sugar Pie, Earthquake Cake, Oatmeal Cake, Pig Pickin Cake, Classic Carrot Cake, Fruit Cocktail Cake or Cherry Cake.

    Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, Facebook at Simply Stacie, TikTok @simplystacierecipes or Pinterest at @simplystacie and let me know how you liked this recipe and my other recipes.

    4.09 from 12 votes

    Pineapple Cake

    Created by Stacie Vaughan
    Servings 9
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
    Incredibly moist cake with a hint of sweet pineapple taste. The topping is the BEST part with its buttery, nutty goodness.

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 large eggs beaten
    • 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 can crushed pineapple with juice  14oz can (about 1 ¾ cups)
    • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ½ cup walnuts chopped
    • ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut

    Glaze

    • ¾ cup granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup half and half
    • ½ cup salted butter
    • ½ tsp vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 inch square baking pan and set aside.
    • In a large bowl, stir together eggs, sugar, crushed pineapple (with the juices), baking powder, vanilla, flour and salt. Pour into baking pan.
    • Sprinkle walnuts and coconut on top.
    • Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes or when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

    Glaze

    • When the cake is almost ready to come out of the oven, start preparing the glaze. Add sugar, cream, butter and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
    • Pour hot glaze over the hot cake and let cool.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 60g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword old fashioned pineapple cake, pineapple cake

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    Recipe Rating




    6 Comments

    1. Very tasty but also very dense. Fork kept sticking in the cake, very chewy. I don’t think I will make it again which is too bad because it has a good flavor, but your jaw gets tired from chewing so much.

      1. It shouldn’t be like that unless the batter was overmixed. I’m sorry you had issues with it!

    2. 2 stars
      It was really good, but it was extremely overcooked. I cooked it for 50 minutes and it was still tough coming out.

      I’d recommend watching it after 30 minutes. Hopefully it comes out a lot less chewy. Disappointed on this one!

    3. I should have read the comments before making the cake. The cake is very dense. I was excited to make it since i have all the ingredients. Also on the last 15 mins i have to cover the cake with foil because the topping are getting dark and burned. I end up throwing the cake.

    4. I took it out after 40 minutes the coconut was burning
      It’s cooling now will let you how it is
      I THINK someone make a mistake on the time

      1. 3 stars
        not too bad next time maybe cook it 35 minutes

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