I love Pineapple and coconut together, and in today’s Pineapple Coconut Cake, we’re combining moist pineapple cake layers with a thick pineapple filling and coconut cream cheese frosting.
This cake is a slice of heaven, and PERFECT for spring and summer gatherings!
I love that we finally have a pineapple cake recipe to share, we’ve been wanting to add one for a while now! (Our other Pineapple Cake is absolutely delicious but uses yellow cake layers with a pineapple & cream filling).
The pineapple flavor in today’s cake layers comes from crushed pineapple pieces in the batter as well as pineapple juice.
How to Make a Pineapple Coconut Cake
When it was time to assemble our cake, we placed the first cake layer on the cake plate, then piped a dam of cream cheese frosting about 1/4 inch from the edge.
Next, we filled inside of the dam with a layer of coconut cream cheese frosting, followed by a layer of pineapple filling.
Then, I repeated these steps for the next layer of pineapple cake. After adding the final layer, check to see if you have any gaps in between your layers.
You can fill those with more cream cheese frosting. (This helps to prevent air pockets and also prevents your filling from escaping.)
I chilled my cake at this point for about 20 minutes in the freezer to firm things up so that I could frost the cake without worry of the layers sliding around while I frosted. This can sometimes happen with softer fillings.
After chilling, I frosted my cake with cream cheese frosting and immediately pressed in the sweetened flaked coconut all over.
Is Pineapple Extract needed?
For today’s pineapple cake, we didn’t use any pineapple extract. However, you could if you would like!
The crushed pineapple in the cake, along with the juice, gives it a delicious pineapple flavor. I wouldn’t describe the cake layers alone as having a strong pineapple flavor but definitely unmistakable.
If we weren’t using pineapple in the filling as well, I may have added a tiny bit of pineapple extract (1 tsp) to give it an extra boost. However, that wasn’t necessary with this recipe because of the homemade pineapple filling.
This cake is bursting with pineapple flavor, and is perfectly balanced with the coconut in the recipe! (If I could have gotten away with eating the entire bowl of coconut cream cheese frosting, I would have, it is just that good!) I can’t wait for you to try it!
Other fabulous cakes for spring and summer
This Pineapple Coconut Cake is perfect for spring and summer gatherings. We’re actually having it this year for Easter!
It would be great for all sorts of spring or summertime parties. It reminds me in some ways of our Pina Colada Cake, only there’s no rum flavor- haha- and also, the roles are reversed as our Pina Colada Cake has coconut cake layers. This is also a delicious recipe!
Make sure to check out our full roundup of the BEST Cake Recipes for Spring and Summer Here!
Thanks so much for stopping by! We hope that you enjoy this Pineapple Coconut Cake as much as we have. The flavor combination is heavenly!
Pineapple Coconut Cake
This moist and flavorful Pineapple Coconut Cake consists of homemade pineapple cake layers with a delicious pineapple filling and coconut cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
For the Pineapple Cake Layers
- 3 cups (342g) cake flour (**see below if you do not have cake flour)
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (2g)
- 6 egg whites (180g)
- 3/4 cup (8oz.) (227g) crushed pineapple in juice, do not drain juice
- 2/3 cup (152g) milk
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (54g) vegetable oil ( we used Canola Oil)
- 2 cups (400g) sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) (226g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- **Substitution for cake flour: If you only have all purpose flour (plain in the UK), measure out 3 cups all purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons of the all purpose flour and replace it with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch (corn flour in the UK). Whisk to blend and proceed with the recipe.
For the Pineapple Filling:
- One 20 ounce can (567g) of crushed pineapple
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (14g) cornstarch
For the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2 sticks (1 cup) (226g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 2 (8oz.) packages cream cheese (452g. is the total gram weight) use full fat cream cheese, slightly softened. Using reduced fat will cause it to be too soft
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6g) coconut extract (adjust to your liking)
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
- 6 to 6 1/2 cups ( 747g) powdered sugar
- pinch salt
For Outside of Cake
- 1 bag (14oz (396g) of sweetened coconut
Instructions
For the Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour 3 (8 inch) round pans and place a circle of waxed or parchment paper in the bottom of each pan. Cakes with fruit have a tendency to stick
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt for at least 30 seconds to blend.
- In another bowl, add the egg whites, crushed pineapple +juice, milk, vanilla and vegetable oil. Blend with a fork
- In the bowl of your mixer add the butter and beat at medium speed until soft and smooth. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until lightened in color and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, longer if using a hand mixer.
- Alternately add the flour mixture and the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (3 additions of dry and 2 of wet). Beat on low to medium speed until the ingredients are mixed in. Do not mix above medium speed or over mix.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, check at 18 minutes. When a toothpick pulls out clean or with just a few crumbs attached, the cake is done.
- Cool the cakes on a cooling rack for 5 minutes then turn out. Makes 7 1/2 cups batter
- This cake recipe can be used for cupcakes also and the layers are sturdy enough for fondant.
For the Pineapple 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.
For the Coconut 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 coconut and vanilla extracts
- Slowly add the powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Do not beat above medium speed or for too long. The longer you beat the softer the frosting becomes. If it becomes too soft to pipe, just refrigerate for a short while.
- 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.
Assembly:
To assemble the cake, place your first layer on your pedestal or cake board. Then pipe a dam of the cream cheese frosting about 1/4 inch from the edge of the cake. Fill with cream cheese frosting followed by pineapple filling.
Repeat for the next layer. Fill in any gaps with your cream cheese frosting and freeze for about 15-20 minutes to firm things up. (I often do this with cakes that have soft fillings so that the layers don't slide around while frosting).
Frost the cake and immediately press on your flaked coconut.
This cake needs to be refrigerated until within a couple of being served.
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If you try this Pineapple Coconut Layer Cake, make sure to leave a comment or photo below! We’d love to hear what you think!
Sounds delish! :-) Adding it to my ever growing To Bake List LOL!
I love this page, the easy way it is laid out, sensible and easy to follow instructions…. I enjoy every minute of it. Thanking you
I was looking for a cake recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this!
Hi Kate, That’s great!! I am happy your family enjoyed the cake, thank you for posting your nice comments.
Excited about this cake! How do I find the reviews to read?
Hi Donna, Only one review left for this cake, approving the review had been overlooked. First time comments do not show until approved, after that comments appear without approval. I hope you will enjoy the recipe.
Hi. When you say “2 (8oz.) (452g) cream cheese (use full fat cream cheese) slightly softened”, do you mean two 8 oz packages, or two 4 oz for a total of 8 oz?
Hi Joanna, we use two 8 oz. packages of cream cheese ;0)
Hi Joanna, I am wondering can the cream cheese icing be used with those decorative tips all over the cake? I was thinking about doing that, and just putting coconut on the very top.
Angela, generally you can use cream cheese icing with decorator tips. Just adjust the consistency if it’s too thick or too thin and you should be good. I’ve done it before.
Hi Angela- Just want to add that you may also like our Pipeable Cream Cheese frosting recipe which you can find here:
https://www.mycakeschool.com/recipes/cheese-frosting-pipeable/
It is a bit firmer than this recipe.
I do pipe with this recipe from time to time. You’ll want to chill it if it becomes too soft. Also, I stick to pretty lightweight piping if that makes sense. I don’t like to do large rosettes or heavy ruffles, etc. when working with softer frostings as they are a bit more likely to slide. I hope this helps!
I am curious why you are using egg whites only… Does it take away from the richness or moosture of the cake??????
Hi Lynnett, Using only the egg whites will give you a lighter cake. It will still have richness due to the added oil in the recipe, we also find it to be moist. Hope you will give the Pineapple Coconut cake recipe a try.
Making it now, wondering f it would be ok to add a little coconut extract to the cake batter.
Hi Seth, You have probably already made your cake, but yes, you could add just a very small amount to the cake if you like. You don’t want to overpower the the pineapple flavor, as there is coconut extract in the frosting. Hope you love the cake.
Thanks Bebe. This was the second cake I have made. It came out delicious! There was plenty of coconut flavor in the frosting to it was perfect. Next time I will try the putting in the freezer prior to frosting as suggested. It was a little difficult to frost, plus I am new at this. But what an amazing tasting cake!!!!
Hi Seth, So good to hear from you, I’m glad that all went well and you enjoyed the recipe. Yes, freezing the cake for 15 to 20 minutes is a good idea when you have a soft filling, makes frosting so much easier. Thank you for posting a follow-up. Happy New Year!!
Hi, I am about to get to baking this cake. Just wondering… Can I substitute the cows milk in the cake batter recipe for coconut milk?
I think it would be fine to do so.
Hi I really want to make this cake because I really like pineapple cakes, I keep coming back to this recipe but I cant eat eggs, can I replace egg whites with plain yogurt?
Love to have more recipes.
Hi Ruby, I’m sorry but I haven’t tried that substitution. Egg whites help to give a cake structure so I’m not sure that would work.
Hello, I followed the cake recipe exactly as written except 1) I folded the flour and liquids with a spatula, rather than using beaters so it wouldn’t be dense, and 2) I divided the batter between 2-8″ pans and baked it for 40″ until skewer came out clean. Both my cakes were sunken in the center, and no I did not open the door of oven when I baked :-( Nothing was expired and I used everything in weight measurements. They are cooling now, but am very nervous about how the cake will be, as they don’t look right. I have baked many from scratch cake recipes that don’t turn out like this has. It’s for my husbands B-Day cake tomorrow. The picture on this post does not look like the interior of the cake I made either. Please help.
Help,
Cakes are sunken.
Hi Noelle, I am very sorry your cake sank in the center. Your cakes are very dark with the outer cake looking over baked. You baked in 2 pans and our baking time was based on 3 pans. Decreasing the oven temperature by 25 degrees and baking a bit long would have helped with that, as the cake bakes from outside to center. There are various reasons for sinking …….miss measuring and having too much liquid, too much baking soda, letting the batter sit out too long before putting into the oven, or the oven not baking at the correct temperature. I have never made a cake without using a mixer so I am not sure if hand mixing had an affect on the batter.
Thank you BeBe for responding. Although the cakes sank, I pushed through. After cooling I went ahead and layered with gelatinized heavy cream and pineapple curd, then refrigerated. On Saturday, I pulled it out the refrigerator 1 hour before serving (I wish I took it out sooner as the cake was still cold, BTW when should one take out cake from refrigerator before serving?) and served. The crumb turned out fine, thank goodness :-) My only complaint was the cake portion tasted a bit salty and the pineapple flavor was barely discernable. Can I hold the salt without affecting texture next time. It’s a great recipe and I will reattempt to get it perfect for another birthday occasion. I appreciate all your help.
I made this beautiful cake according to the recipe for the pineapple coconut version because I wanted to put pineapple in the cake. The cake turned out absolutely gorgeous and moist but it didnt seem sweet enough even with the pineapples and cream cheese frosting; it was like making a cake for a diabetic, please tell me what did I do wrong.
Hi Maronicha, I am sorry it did not seem sweet enough. The recipe has 2 cups sugar plus the pineapple so it should have been sweet enough. I think there must have been a miss measurement.
Hi, the cake looks amazing! For the cake layers, I will be using fresh pineapple pieces, so how do I go about with the juice? I mean, should I blend some pineapple and add extra pieces in it later, and then add it to the wet ingredients? If so, do I have to add sugar to the blended juice?
Also, it’ll be my first attempt at a fruit cake :)
I made the cake following the recipe. But I know from experience that I can remove something or add a little more to my tasting and liking. I added 7 cups of powder sugar to my buttercream icing. I added 6 first, then a half, and it still wasn’t to my sweetness level so I added the other half for 7 cups. Came out perfect and moist and delicious!!!! I read the comments first and figured I would taste test as I went along.
Hi Asma, You can use fresh pineapple pieces, I would make them very small so they won’t sink to the bottom of the pan. Our pineapple was crushed. Use enough to make 3/4 cup (8 oz) (227g). I think the pineapple will be sweet enough without any extra sugar because there are 2 cups sugar in the cake.
Hi Shannon, I am happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for posting your thoughts.
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes, and for always responding to posts! I’m making this cake with half of the recipe for a 1-8″ layer. The cake recipes here seem to frequently make about 7.5 C. of batter and so far I’ve had success with the cake recipes here using that methodology (only 2 adults so rarely do I get the opportunity to make 2 layers, ugh).
I’m going to leave it in the pan as I’m using the pineapple, vanilla pudding and heavy cream recipe for topping/frosting and realize this probably won’t hold up on the side of the layer. Alternatively, is it possible to make a cream cheese pineapple frosting recipe?
Thank you so much!
Hi Karen, I am glad you have been able to scale down the recipe to make it work for you. What you have planned sounds very good. I wish I had a recipe for you but we do not have a pineapple cream cheese frosting recipe. Adding extra liquid to our cream cheese recipe would make it too soft.
Thank you so much BeBe! I think the only answer other than adding some kind of stabilizer, i.e. pasturized egg whites, whipped or meringue powder, etc., would be to just keep adding powdered sugar to desired consistency.
Thank you all for great information!
If I were to make cupcakes with your recipe…should I cut the amount of frosting and filling in half?
Hi Seryll, You can frost 12 cupcakes with 1 cup of frosting, piping a simple low swirl using a 1M or 2D piping tip. You could also just frost using a spatula. Cutting the recipe in half, I think you should have enough because you will have 3 to 3 1/2 cups frosting. I am not sure about cutting the filling in half. It could depend on how long you cook down the filling.
Can I make this cake in a 13×9 pan? I’m not good with cake layers..
Hi Linda, The recipe should work well in a 9×13 pan. I think you need at least 7 cups of batter for a 9×13 pan and this recipe has 7 1/2 cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 min. Check on it at 30 minutes. It will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. After the cake cools spread with the cooled pineapple filling. You will probably need to pipe on the frosting then finish with a spatula. Hope you will enjoy the cake.
Can I make this with cupcakes? If so how long do I bake? I’m going to use the pineapple filling to put inside the cupcakes before adding cream cheese on the top.
Hi Monique, Yes, the cake recipe will work for cupcakes. For standard size cupcakes bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, keep an eye on them. Since I have not tried the filling in cupcakes, I don’t know how much filling you will need. You may be able to make 1/2 of the filling recipe, just not sure. The cupcakes will need refrigeration, taking out 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
I used this recipe for the filling and icing for my coconut cake recipe. The filling and icing were delicious! I’d half t he icing recipe next time since I am only icing the outside. Definitely making again.
Hi Libby, Thanks so much for your nice review of the recipe!