We are SO excited to share a new, fabulously moist and flavorful Piña Colada Cake recipe from scratch with you! Just the name itself sounds like a party, doesn’t it?
Cocktail-inspired cakes are so much fun for entertaining, and this Piña Colada cake in particular has already received rave reviews. It’s a keeper!
Let’s dive into the deliciousness…
This homemade Piña Colada Cake recipe is bursting with the perfect combination of coconut, pineapple, and a hint of rum. This is such a satisfying flavor combination, and one that we just don’t see very often in desserts.
Why drink a Piña Colada when you can have all of that wonderful flavor in a slice of cake? Or better yet, have your Piña Colada with your Piña Colada cake ;0). I can’t think of anything better.
This recipe would be fabulous for any occasion, but is especially perfect for summertime gatherings, or even beach and luau themed parties.
I just love cakes with fruit, and while we’ve made coconut cakes before, the addition of pineapple and rum really makes this recipe something special and unique.
**You’ll notice that this recipe calls for the Reverse Creaming Method of mixing. The steps are listed in our recipe, but if you are new to this method, you may like to watch our free video tutorial on the Reverse Creaming Method of Mixing. We use this method for several of our scratch cake recipes as it yields a wonderfully moist cake. Please let us know if you have any questions!
Here’s a peek at the assembly of this cake. As you can see, the coconut cake layers are spread with Piña Colada Cream Cheese Frosting (YUM) and a layer of crushed pineapple filling.
The pineapple filling is a simple, cooked three-ingredient recipe that really packs a punch of delightful pineapple flavor!
So much goodness. We hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Piña Colada Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (227g.) coconut milk (We buy ours canned from the baking aisle)
- 1/3 cup (70g) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon (4g) rum extract
- 3 cups (342g) cake flour......*(see below if you do not have cake flour)
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 T) ( 170g) unsalted butter, softened slightly, still cool to the touch (do not soften in microwave) you can cut into 1/2 inch slices onto waxed paper to soften more quickly
For the Pineapple Filling:
- One 20 ounce can (567g) of crushed pineapple
- 1/2 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (14g) cornstarch
For the Piña Colada Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 sticks (1 cup) (226g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 2 (8oz.) (452g) cream cheese (use full fat cream cheese) straight from the refrigerator
- 1 1/2 teaspoon (6g) coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon (4g) rum extract
- 6 to 6 1/2 cups ( 747g) powdered sugar
Coconut for the outside of the cake:
- 1 bag (14oz (396g) of sweetened coconut
Directions
Instructions for the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8 inch cake pans
- In a small bowl , combine eggs, coconut milk, oil, coconut extract and rum extract. Blend with a fork and set aside.
- Put the dry ingredients, cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into the bowl of your mixer and whisk for at least 30 seconds to blend the ingredients.
- With the mixer on low speed gradually increasing to medium speed gradually add the slices of butter to the dry ingredients a few pieces of butter at a time. Beat until the dry ingredients are crumbly and moistened. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, there should be no spots of dry flour in the bowl.
- SLOWLY add approximately 1/2 of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl then add the remaining egg mixture in 2
- pourings, scraping the bowl and beating for 20 seconds after each addition.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes
- Makes about 6 1/2 cups batter
- Works well for cupcakes - cupcakes bake up with very little doming
- *CAKE FLOUR SUBSTITUTE — for each cup of all-purpose flour, measure out (lightly spoon and level) one cup of all purpose flour. Remove 2 Tablespoons flour from the cup and replace it with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk to blend. For this recipe you would measure out 3 cups all purpose flour, remove 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons of the all purpose flour and replace it with 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and whisk to blend.
Instructions for the Filling:
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat.
- When the mixture begins to boil, stir constantly until it begins to thicken, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Keep in mind that it will thicken even more as it cools.
- Cool completely in refrigerator before using.
Instructions for the Pina Colada Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Add the butter to the mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
- Add the cream cheese that has been cut into small to medium size pieces, beating with the butter until well blended and smooth.
- Add the rum and coconut extracts.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar, beating until smooth.
- Use the frosting while it is still chilled. If it becomes too soft, refrigerate until it firms up a bit or put in the freezer for 5 minutes or so to return to a good piping consistency.
Instructions for Coconut around the top and sides of cake:
- Spread 1 cup of coconut evenly on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 5 minutes. Stir after a couple of minutes. Remove from the oven when some of the coconut is slightly brown. If it is baked too long it will become dry and chewy. I press some of the browned coconut into the untoasted coconut that is covering the cake. It is an interesting look on the cake, but completely optional.
Assembly of Cake
- Place a cake layer on a cake board or serving stand and spread with a thin layer of frosting. Pipe a dam of frosting around the edge of the cake layer (approx. 1/2 inch in). Spread a layer of pineapple filling over the thin layer of frosting and inside the dam. The dam will keep the pineapple filling in place as you begin to stack your layers. You can also sprinkle a bit of coconut over this if you like. Repeat with the next layer.
- Crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting and refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 15 minutes to firm everything up. Now you will be ready to spread on the final coat of frosting. Press in the coconut on the sides and top of the cake, adding a bit of the toasted coconut here and there.
- Optional: Using a 2D tip, decorate the top and place maraschino cherries and shown in the picture of the cake.
If you love all things pineapple, don’t miss our Pineapple Cake Recipe! This cake features moist homemade yellow cake layers with a thick and flavorful Pineapple & Cream Filling and cream cheese frosting. YUM!
We also have another delicious Coconut Cake recipe– This time, with lemon curd & lemon whipped cream filling! Find our moist and flavorful Coconut Lemon Cake recipe here: Coconut Lemon Cake from Scratch
For more summertime or fruit flavored cakes & frosting recipes, check out our roundup of FAVORITE summertime cakes! These cake ideas are great for summer, but most can be enjoyed year-round. Have fun scrolling through! A Roundup of the BEST Summertime Cakes, Recipes, Tutorials, and Ideas
Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to scroll through our full collection of favorite cake, frosting, and filling recipes in our Recipes Section! We also have a growing collection of free cake tutorials and cake videos! Find these in our Free Cake Tutorials Section!
*Finally, if you’re interested in gaining access to every cake decorating video tutorial that we’ve made as well as our forums section, consider becoming a member of MyCakeSchool.com! We’d love to have you! Joining Information
Sounds delicious! When you say coconut milk in the cake ingredients do you mean from a can or from your dairy case?
I will give it a try in my own GF way :) Thanks for always being so generous with your recipes. :)
Hi MsGF, We used canned coconut milk
Thanks BeBe! I will give it a try :)
In the picture of the cake you have three layers and not two. Can I double the recipe and get three nine inch layers?
Would this cake need to be kept refridgerated because of the filling ? I am trying to find new cake fillings that do not require refridgeration.
Hi Prisca, I have not tried doubling the recipe so I cannot say for sure. Let us know if you give it a try.
Hi Kim, Yes I would refrigerate this cake because of the filling and frosting.
test
Will this cake recipe hold under fondant tiers?
Yes, it will. Hope you like it.
Thank you Bebe!
I love it thanks
Hello!!! I made this cake last week. It was a hit. Thanks. I took a picture but I dont know how to post it.
waw! your pina colada cake sounds yummy. i gonna try it soon.
I am sorry if I missed this in the instructions. How many layers of cake does this make and what size round pan did you use? Thank you!
This cake sounds delicious, but I still wanted to know what’s the servings and the amount of time it takes to make?
@Valerie- You’ll use three 8 inch cake pans.
@Tereckiann Bain- 8 inch cakes serve approx. 20. Here’s a helpful serving chart:
link to wilton.com
It’s hard to say how much time it would take to make this cake as everyone decorates at a different pace. I would say approx 45 min to mix up the batter and bake. Making the filling, frosting, and decorating would be another 1 1/2 hours or so.
can i use AP flour
Hi Stacy, You can use all-purpose flour but the cake will be more tender if you use cake flour. You can make cake flour by making adjustments to the all purpose flour. Look at the last item under Instructions for Cake, it begins CAKE FLOUR SUBSTITUTE. Let me know if you have any questions. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Just made this today for my 30th tomorrow. The batter tasted so a amazingly good!! Can’t wait for tomorrow to decorate and devour!
So happy to her it, Nisha!! Happy birthday and enjoy the cake!
Can I use the creaming method instead of the reverse method, using the same recipe?
Hi Deborah, Yes, you can use the conventional creaming method for the recipe. I suggest writing it out and counting the ingredients just to make sure nothing is left out. We are in the process of adding the Conventional Mixing Method as an option to reverse creaming because there are members who prefer it. Hope you like the recipe.
Thanks very much for your reply….I have tried the cherry recipe…looking forward to trying out others
I can’t wait to try it. I love coconut cake and pineapple too?
Hey how long would this cake last
Hi Deniel, We think cakes are best eaten within 3 days of completion. This cake needs to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting. Take out of the refrigerator an hour before serving to allow it to warm slightly.
Hi , can I use this recipe with more of 3 layers and 2 cakes ???
I love this recipe .
Hi Dalila, Do you mean you want to double the recipe and make more than 3 layers? If it is more than 3 layers, you will need to put in dowels for support and having the next layer on its own cake board, place it on the dowels. With this method the dowel support the layers above it. I am not sure I understood the question so let me know if that is what you meant.
Hi , can I use this froating with paper towel method?
If not, can Idd some shortening and is it possible???
Hi Dalila, this cream cheese frosting probably would not work well with the paper towel method of smoothing. Adding shortening will not help it to crust. You can still get it pretty smooth with a bench scraper as it is, or you could chill the tiers until the frosting firms up a bit and then smooth with a hot spatula. (Or of course, you can just frost with a crusting buttercream flavored with coconut and/or rum extract if you’d rather!)
Cupcakes?? ;) Can this recipe be used to make cupcakes perhaps Melissa? Don’t know if anyone has already asked, but I didn’t see such a question.
Hi Jessie, you can make cupcakes with this recipe. They bake up with very little dome. This recipe uses the reverse creaming method, are you familiar with it? If not, you might like to watch Melissa’s video on the method. She has posted a link under the picture of the cake. The cupcakes will be baked at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. The cupcake liners can be filled approximately 3/4’s full.
Oh wonderful! Thank you very much for replying BeBe! Yes I am familiar with it. Will definitely give these a try. Thank you once again for the info.
Made this today for my Dad’s 84th birthday. It was outstanding, everyone loved it. Thank you for such a well written and illustrated recipe!
Hi Melissa
This cake is totally perfect! I just think that my layers come out thinner than I expect! Less than an inch thick. Is that how yours comes out too? I’m horrible at judging from photos. I’ve doubled the recipe and used 9 inch pans instead but still always thin…but oh so good! Thanks for sharing!
Ess
Hi i cant find baking powder or baking soda, did i miss it? How will the cake get bigger in the oven without it?
Hi Aya, the recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon (15g) Baking Powder (it’s the 8th ingredient down) –
Oh sorry, im making it today for may daughter’s birthday, wish me luck ?
Hope all goes well!
I only have 1 8 inch baking tin how would you advice i go through this? can i divide the ingredients into half then make two layers instead of 3?
Hi Gladys, We made three rather thin layers. You can make the recipe just as it is written. You can put 3 cups of batter into your 8 inch pan and bake for 30 -35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. While the first layer is baking refrigerate the batter until the first cake is baked. Let the cake pan cool and grease and flour again. Gently put the remaining cake batter into your 8 inch pan and bake the 2nd layer. The second layer may take a bit longer to bake because the batter is cold. It is not ideal to refrigerate cake batter, but I have done so a few times with no problem. The layer may not rise quite as high as the first layer. If you want to, you could cut these two layers in half for a 4 layer cake. Just so you will know, when a person needs to refrigerate cake batter due to not enough oven space, it is best to refrigerate the batter in the cake pan. That is not possible for you, hope all goes well. Let us know.
Do you use a 4 oz bag of coconut or a 14 oz bag?
Hi Debra, Yes, you are correct 14 oz.
Can I put baking soda in this cake.?
Hi Tara, The cake batter does not have an acidic ingredients that would need to be offset with baking soda. The rule of thumb is 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of flour in a recipe.
BeBe thanks for the quick response. I am making the cake right now! (Sorry about the auto correct error)!
I just made this for a friend’s birthday. I haven’t tasted the cake as yet but I know it will be delicious!!! The icing was sooooo delicious!!
Hi Shanny, Thanks for posting your picture, the cake is perfectly lovely!! We are so happy you gave the recipe a try, I think your friend will love it!
makeing this cake for easter dinner desert wish me luck i will post pictures wen it’s finished.
Yay! Happy to hear it! xo
BeBe, you said its ok to use the creaming method (which is the method I love and prefer), so will the oil need to be creamed with the sugar and butter and the milk is to be alternated with the dry ingredients to mix?? Thanks for clearing this up.
Hi Chandra, I recommend writing the ingredient list and instructions out in the order of the conventional method, and count the ingredients because it is so easy to leave something out. As for the oil and conventional method — to the coconut milk I add the oil, coconut and rum extract. That is what I often do. You could also mix the butter and sugar 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy and then mix in the oil. I have good results both ways. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Thanks for your speedy reply BeBe, I was also asking if the milk is to mixed in alternately with dry ingredients. THANKS!!
Hi Chandra, I have written out the Conventional Mixing Method for you
Pina Colada Cake (Conventional Mixing Method)
1 1/2 sticks (170g) unsalted butter, slightly softened (do not soften in microwave
2 cups (400g) sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup (227g) coconut milk (we use canned from the baking isle)
1/3 cup (70g) vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoon (6g) coconut extract
1 teaspoon (4g) rum extract
3 cups (342g) cake flour —* if you do not have cake flour, see note below
1 Tablespoon (15g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
* CAKE FLOUR SUBSTITUTE — for each cup of all-purpose flour used, remove 2 Tablespoons and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. For this recipe, measure out 3 cups all purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons flour and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch. Whisk to blend
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8×2 inch round pans.
In a medium mixing bowl or large measuring cup add the coconut milk, oil, coconut and rum extracts. Set Aside
In another bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt, whisk to blend. Set Aside
To the bowl of your mixer add the butter and mix until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating just until the yellow of the yolk is mixed in.
Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture. Beginning and ending with the flour (3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of wet).
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
Makes 7 cups batter
Works well for cupcakes – bake cupcakes at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 min. they bake with only a slight dome
THANK YOU SO MUCH Bebe…will certainly let you know how this works out.
Easy to follow recipe. Thank you so much. Turned out awesome
Hi Kate, Your cake is beautiful…..so happy you like the recipe!!
Hi Bebe, so I made it for my Mom’s birthday. Followed the conventional method, except I added oil into creamed butter and sugar. Don’t have coconut or rum extracts so I just used the same amounts of coconut rum instead. THE SPONGE IS SO LIGHT AND TENDER!! (DIY cake flour also). You can see I was limited in my design and use of frosting as my mom isn’t a fan of anything too sweet, so I also added a little lime juice and salt to the frosting. Where can I find these extracts, may I ask? Though it was enjoyed by all, I think I may have missed the real taste due to the lack of not using the extracts. THANK YOU!!
Pic of the outside
Hi Chandra, Your cake looks beautiful and delicious!! I’m happy to hear that your family enjoyed the recipe. We used Watkins brand rum and coconut extract. In our area, the extracts can be found at Walmart. They can also be found online. Thanks so much for posting your pictures and review of the recipe.