Pineapple Coconut Cake is the ultimate summer dessert. Tart pineapple pairs perfectly with moist cake and sweet, shredded coconut. And it's all topped off with a drizzle of pineapple glaze.
Jump to:
I know I’m not the only one who loves summer. Not only is there plenty of sun and water fun to be had, but it’s a time to celebrate with family and friends.
And let’s not forget all of the delicious summer foods - like pineapple.
Pineapple is the star in some of my all-time favorite summer desserts - like this Spice-Roasted Pineapple Ice Cream and this Crushed Pineapple Cake.
This pineapple coconut cake is:
- A fun spin on a classic bundt cake
- Filled with the delicious flavors of coconut and fresh pineapple
- Topped with a sticky-sweet pineapple glaze.
- Vegetarian Friendly!
- Super easy for bakers of all levels.
- Ready in under an hour!
While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!
How to Make Pineapple Coconut Cake
- Prep - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundt or tube pan.
- Cream butter and sugar - Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl before adding in the eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add the rest of the ingredients - Add the rest of the ingredients (not the pineapple and coconut) and mix well again. Fold in the pineapple and coconut.
- Bake - Pour evenly into the bundt or tube pan and cook for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Make the icing - Let the cake cool while mixing the pineapple juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl.
- Frost the cake - Once the cake has cooled enough you can touch the pan, invert the cake into a stand. Pour the frosting over the top middle and let it run down both sides.
- Garnish and serve - If desired, garnish with shredded coconut and chunks of pineapple. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
For the complete directions, including measurements, scroll down!
Tips and Variations
Storage - Store in a cake keeper in a cool, dry place. Cover the cake with plastic to store in the fridge, where it will stay fresh for around 2 weeks.
You can also freeze the cake for up to three months. If you choose to freeze, the cake I suggest adding the glaze after defrosting.
Reheating - It isn’t necessary to reheat this Pineapple Coconut Cake, as it could dry it out in the process. Simply remove it from the fridge or freezer and let it come to room temperature naturally.
If you want to slightly warm the cake, do so for only a few seconds in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel.
Making the cake sit flatter. - As you may have noticed, the top of my cake rose a little more than it was supposed to. So, when I inverted the cake, it didn’t sit as flat as I would have liked. If this happens to you, simply cut the top of the cake before inverting it, so it sits flat.
Pineapple Juice Substitute - If you don’t want to use pineapple juice in your icing or you forgot to set some aside, you can use a few other options. Milk, lemon juice, water, etc. would all work in place of the pineapple juice. It just won’t have a matching pineapple flavor!
FAQs About Pineapple Coconut Cake
What if my icing is too thick?
If your icing is too thick, simply dribble more of the pineapple juice into it and mix well until the right consistency forms.
Why is the bottom so dark?
Bundt cakes are naturally a little darker on the outside. However, this one will be darker than you think due to an ingredient in the pineapple. Don’t worry, it’s not burnt, it’s tasty!
How do you dump a bundt cake?
With every bundt cake, it’s necessary to invert the cake onto a serving surface. At some point, it must come out of the pan!
In order to do this properly, you’ll want to do it at the right time. As soon as the bundt pan has cooled enough for you to touch it, it's time flip that cake.
If you wait too long, moisture can build up, causing the cake to get sticky, and stick to the pan.
If you need a visual, here's a video!
After you flip the cake, allow it to cool the rest of the way at room temperature.
More Pineapple Cakes:
If you love this Pineapple Coconut Cake, be sure to check out these other delicious pineapple-inspired cake recipes:
While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ Cups Flour
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 15 Ounces Crushed Pineapple drained
- 1 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut
- 1 Cup Butter softened
- 6 Eggs
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
For the Icing:
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 5 tbsp Pineapple Juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 10-inch bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the vanilla and eggs. Mix well.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut and pineapple. Mix well again.
- Fold in the pineapple and coconut into the batter, reserving the pineapple juice.
- Pour the batter into the bundt pan and cook for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the cake cools, combine the pineapple juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and mix well.
- Remove the cake from the pan and place it on a cake stand. Pour the icing around the top middle of the cake and let it run down both sides.
- Top with pieces of pineapple and excess coconut if desired.
Marrissa says
Loved this cake! I was a bit hesitant that there was no milk being added, but it was wonderfully moist. The only change I made was, instead of using one tablespoon of vanilla, I used one teaspoon each of vanilla and coconut flavoring. This cake will be made by me often!
Melissa says
Easy and tasty recipe. However, I reduced the sugar by ½ cup and used unsweetened coconut and it was still plenty sweet especially with the glaze.