Pineapple Cake Recipe
Pineapple Cake is a surprisingly rich, wonderfully textured cake that is as perfect for a summertime snack or dessert year round.
If you love fruity desserts, this moist and fluffy pineapple cake recipe is about to become part of your regular rotation.
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This pineapple cake isn’t flashy, but it is simple, delicious, and easily portable for picnics, sharing at the office, or even a school treat! It also freezes beautifully.
Born from experimenting on my tried and true Sicilian orange cake recipe which has thousands of rave reviews, this pineapple cake is equally delicious in its own way.
Have summer fruit? Try my peach cake – no peeling necessary.
Can I Use Canned Pineapple instead of Fresh Pineapple?
You can use either type of pineapple, but as always, I recommend using fresh ingredients because your end result will taste better. However this is a foolproof recipe and is very forgiving when it comes to ingredient substitutions. See notes for using canned pineapple.
Can I Freeze this Pineapple Cake?
Yes, this cake freezes wonderfully! Freeze a whole cake or just a slice (but remember to let the cake cool COMPLETELY before freezing).
Pineapple Cake
Recipe by Christina Conte Serves 10
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- fresh pineapple
- eggs
- sugar
- all purpose flour
- baking powder + vanilla extract OR Pane Degli Angeli vanilla baking powder
- butter
- Greek yogurt
- pineapple juice (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Make the Pineapple Cake
Prepare an 8″ springform pan by greasing and lining the bottom in parchment paper, then grease the paper, too.
Place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy.
Sift the flour with the baking powder or Paneangeli then add to the mixture in the bowl a little at a time along with the softened butter. Continue to mix until completely blended, then stir in the yogurt.
In a food processor, process the pineapple until it is almost pureed.
Add this pineapple to the cake mixture (along with the vanilla if you used plain baking powder) and stir until evenly combined, then put the batter into the prepared tin.
Bake the Cake
Bake for 50-60 minutes (depending on your oven), but test with a cake tester or skewer to make sure the pineapple cake is done before removing from the oven. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then remove the side of the springform pan.
Make the Frosting
Beat the cream cheese and butter until well-mixed.
Add vanilla, then add the powdered sugar. Mix slowly, increasing the speed until all of the sugar is incorporated and frosting is smooth. If too thick add a little pineapple juice, milk, or water.
Frost the cake and enjoy! VARIATION: add some shredded coconut for a real tropical twist!
Love pineapple? Try my recipes for dehydrated pineapple, carrot cake recipe with pineapple, and this no-bake pineapple dream dessert!
Pineapple Cake
Special Equipment
- 1 packet Pane Degli Angeli vanilla baking powder (Italian)
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 ⅛ cups sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder OR 1 packet Italian Pane Degli Angeli vanilla baking powder
- ⅓ cup butter salted, softened
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt plain (yes, sour cream works, too)
- 1 ½ cups pineapple fresh, cut into pieces USE A SCALE IF POSSIBLE**
- 1 tsp vanilla extract ONLY USE IF USING PLAIN BAKING POWDER
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 4 oz butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 14 oz powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pineapple juice optional, if liquid is needed
Instructions
Make the pineapple cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Prepare an 8" springform pan by greasing and lining the bottom in parchment paper (sides optional, if you want really clean sides), then grease the paper, too.
- Place the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy.
- Sift the flour with the baking powder or Paneangeli then add to the mixture in the bowl a little at a time along with the softened butter. Continue to mix until completely blended, then stir in the yogurt.
- In a food processor, process the pineapple until it is almost puréed.
- Add this pineapple to the cake mixture (along with the vanilla if you used plain baking powder) and stir until evenly combined, then put the batter into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes (depending on your oven), but test with a or skewer to make sure the pineapple cake is done before removing from the oven. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then remove the side of the springform pan.
Make the cream cheese frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until well-mixed.
- Add vanilla, then add the powdered sugar. Mix slowly, increasing the speed until all of the sugar is incorporated and frosting is smooth. If too thick add a little pineapple juice, milk, or water.
- Frost the cake.
Notes
- *If at all possible, please use a SCALE for this recipe. Metric is always much more precise. Pineapple is diffucult to measure in cups as its weight depends on the size of the pieces and its juiciness.
- I do not line the sides of the pan, but for perfect results, you may.
- I’ve made this cake recipe in a loaf tin, and it’s perfect.
- I’ve also made it in a bundt tin and the amount of batter for one recipe makes a short bundt cake. If you want a full size bundt cake, make 1.5x the recipe.
- Yes, it’s hard to wait, but the moist pineapple cake will cut more easily if it’s cool first.
- This cake is meant to be made with fresh pineapple, but you can use canned chunks or rings and process. If using crushed, you won’t need to process it.
- If using canned pineapple, drain the juice.
- Add ¾ cup or 65 g shredded coconut, omit the creamy frosting with a rum sauce to serve over each slice.
- Add chopped nuts if desired.
Nutrition
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THE MOST DISAPPOINTING RECIPE WHICH I HAVE TRIED IN RECENT MEMORY. I baked the cake for 80 minutes and it still was doughy in the middle – no it is not my oven. The recipe for the icing is an absurd amount for the size of cake. To say this recipe is disappointing is being kind. I posted one star as that is the only way I can leave a comment.
DO NOT WASTE GOOD FOOD ON THIS RECIPE.
Clearly, it is not the recipe, Pat. Just look at all the other 5 star reviews. Also, I will direct you to the original base for this recipe, my Sicilian whole orange cake which has over 2000 4.8/5 star reviews just on the recipe post, and thousands more on Pinterest. It is definitely NOT the recipe to blame. I’m unsure what you did wrong, but I’d suggest you try again.
Thank you for the recipe. All of my family loved the cake. I`ll definitely make it again!
So happy you enjoyed it, Galina! Just had a horrible review posted, so I will refer them to your review and all of the others raving about it. If you don’t mind clicking on the fifth star so it helps even out the 1 star review the other person left. THANK YOU!!
I love this cake recipe for all sorts of fruit, but this pineapple version is off the charts! I made it Friday morning for lunch guests, and they loved it. I was just informed that we have more guests coming tomorrow and my husband has requested “That fantastic pineapple cake”. I threw in a handful of coconut and used canned pineapple (I live in the backwoods of Maine and have no access to fresh pineapple) and it was simply the best. Thanks Christina!
Thank you so much, Frannie! I appreciate you letting me (and others) know how lovely it is!
I made this over the weekend since we were gifted two pineapples. It was super moist and tender. It was not overly sweet either, which I appreciate since the pineapple is already so sweet. I’ll be making this again!
Happy to hear it, Nancy!
This cake looks and sounds SO delicious! I can’t wait to make it! Thanks for sharing your recipe! Debbe’ 💞💞
You’ll love it, thank you Debra!
Dear Christina: Our family loves anything pineapple!
Can I use fresh pineapple instead of canned? (Will it alter the recipe using fresh?
Thank you so much for sharing your talents
Raquel Musgrave
Hi Raquel, not sure how you missed it, but this IS a fresh pineapple cake. I added canned as an alternative. I’m sure you’ll love it!
you don’t tell us the weight of the pineapple. Thanks for clarifying!
Goodness, I’ve never had so many people miss the metric button (it’s just above the ingredients, Heather.) 275g of pineapple, but you’ll have to click on it to see the weight of all the other ingredients. Let me know how you like it. :)
Hi Christina, my family is having a movie night and I think I will be making this cake…I will let you know how it came out…thank you and God bless
Good choice, thank you, Lucille!