Whip up this insanely easy pineapple cake in under 45 minutes from start to finish! With just 5 ingredients, minimal prep time, and a sweet and tangy flavor, it’s sure to be your new favorite spring dessert using crushed pineapple and white cake mix!
This delightfully fluffy and sweet crushed pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting is like sunshine in cake form! It’s the perfect quick dessert using cake mix for ease, but still full of delicious flavor.
I do love making finicky lemon macarons or an elaborate pineapple layer cake. However, when it comes to dessert for a crowd, I opt for seriously simple ones like this pineapple layer cake!
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Pin ItWhy you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and easy – Not only is it just 5 ingredients, but we’re cheating here with a cake mix. There’s no shame in my game though, because it comes out perfect every time!
- Feeds a crowd – This beautifully simple pineapple cake makes up to 24 servings.
- Perfect to make in advance – The cake is easy to make in advance making it ideal for entertaining or bringing to a celebration. We guarantee there will be no leftovers!
Use the correct cake mix
I’ve tested this cake many different times and Duncan Hines cake mix works best. You’ll get the best results if you use Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe French Vanilla Premium Cake Mix or something very similar!
Key Ingredient Notes
You’ll see 6 ingredient lines listed below, but don’t worry, this pineapple cake recipe truly only calls for 5! The extra line is there because you’ll use 1 large can of crushed pineapple divided between the cake mix and the frosting.
For the cake:
- Boxed white cake mix – Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe French Vanilla Premium Cake Mix is my go-to for this recipe. It has just a hint of vanilla and bakes into a lovely white cake with pineapple flavors shining through.
- Eggs give the cake structure and moisture.
- Crushed pineapple with juices – For this recipe, I used a 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple in a heavy syrup, divided between the cake mix and the frosting. Measure out what you need for the cake batter. Then, drain the syrup (juices) before adding the crushed pineapple to the cream cheese frosting.
For the frosting:
- Plain cream cheese – You’ll need a brick-style, full-fat, plain block of cream cheese. Anything whipped or reduced in fat will have too thin of a consistency.
- Sweetened condensed milk adds sweetness and makes the frosting pourable. Don’t confuse condensed milk with evaporated milk, though! While similar, evaporated milk contains no added sugar. For a pineapple condensed milk cake, we need that added sweetness!
- Crushed pineapple without juices (drained) studs the frosting with juicy pineapple bits!
Omit any oil or butter
It’s no mistake that this pineapple cake recipe doesn’t include oil or butter. I’ve tested it with and without butter/oil, and I didn’t notice a significant difference in flavor or texture. Ultimately, I chose to leave it out, because why add more calories if there’s no big improvement, right?
How to make this easy pineapple cake
Before you get started, preheat your oven to 350°F, and spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
1. Mix and bake the cake
- Combine the cake mix, eggs, and crushed pineapple (with juices) in a large mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Beat on low until combined. Then, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat for 2 minutes. At this point, the batter should be white and fluffy.
- Pour the pineapple cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely before frosting.
2. Prepare the pineapple cream cheese frosting
- Place the cream cheese in an electric mixing bowl, and whip for about 1 minute or until fluffy.
- Add the condensed milk and crushed pineapple (without juices) to the cream cheese.
- Beat the cream cheese frosting mixture until combined.
3. Assemble the pineapple cake
- Once the cake has fully cooled, pour the cream cheese frosting evenly over the entire cake.
- Transfer the frosted cake to the refrigerator, and let it chill until you’re ready to serve.
- Then, slice the dessert into 24 squares, and dig in!
Tips for Success
- You’ll have leftover crushed pineapple, and that’s okay! You can use a single 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple or multiple smaller cans. You will use 1 cup in the cake and ½ cup in the frosting. Either way, you’ll have some leftovers, which you can save for another use or toss in the trash.
- Prepare the crushed pineapple correctly. You’ll want to keep the crushed pineapple undrained for the cake mix to add fruity flavor, and drained pineapple to the frosting so it isn’t watery. This is important to the success of this cake!
- A handheld electric mixer works, too. I always prefer my stand mixer. However, since this recipe is so quick and easy, a handheld mixer is perfectly fine.
- Mix the cake batter until just combined for a light and fluffy cake. Overmixing can result in a dense, tough dessert.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. If you don’t, then the cream cheese frosting will run all over the cake and not set properly.
- Soften the cream cheese. Soft, room-temperature cream cheese is the secret to smooth cream cheese frosting. All you have to do is let your cream cheese sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours in advance.
Storage
Leftover pineapple cake can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It is best served chilled and is especially delicious the next morning with a hot cup of coffee!
Make the cream cheese pineapple frosting 1-2 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to frost the cake, let the frosting come to room temperature first. Then, re-whip if needed.
You can prepare the entire cake, including frosting, up to 24 hours in advance, and let it chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
FAQs
While some white cake mix with crushed pineapple recipes may use fresh pineapple, canned pineapple is essential for this recipe. Fresh pineapple can be less sweet than canned, and even on the tart side. Also, canned pineapple contains juices, an important ingredient for adding moisture to the cake.
Light and spring-like mains, such as asparagus stuffed chicken roll-ups, basil pesto pasta, and Greek lemon chicken, complement pineapple cake beautifully if you’re planning a complete meal. You can also use a coconut frosting or whipped topping as an alternative to the pineapple cream cheese frosting.
Pineapple upside-down cake is a classic dessert that features sliced pineapple rings with maraschino cherries placed in the center of each ring. Initially, the cake is baked with the pineapple and cherries arranged at the bottom. After baking and cooling, the cake is flipped onto a plate, making the pineapple and cherries the top of the dessert. Pineapple cake, on the other hand, has crushed pineapple pieces scattered throughout the cake and pineapple juice infusing each bite with fruity, tropical flavor.
More Delicious Spring Desserts
Easy Pineapple Cake (5 Ingredients)
Ingredients
For cake:
- 1 box White Cake Mix Note 1
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (8 oz/240ml) crushed pineapple with juices Note 2
For frosting:
- 4 oz (115 g) plain cream cheese
- ½ cup (120 ml) sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup drained crushed pineapple
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray 9×13-inch baking pan with a cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl with paddle attachment, combine cake mix, eggs and crushed pineapple.1 box White Cake Mix, 3 large eggs, 1 cup crushed pineapple with juices
- Beat everything on low until combined. And then increase the speed to medium high, and beat for 2 minutes. The batter will be white and fluffy.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the inserted tooth pick comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until fluffy, about a minute.4 oz plain cream cheese
- Add sweetened condensed milk and drained crushed pineapple. Beat until combined.½ cup sweetened condensed milk, ½ cup drained crushed pineapple
- Pour the frosting over the cake. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
⭐️ Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a review and let us know how you liked it!
Tips & Notes
– Refrigerate leftover pineapple cake in an airtight container for 3-4 days. It’s best served chilled.
– You can make the cream cheese pineapple frosting 1-2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to frost the cake, let the frosting come to room temperature first. Then, re-whip if needed.
– You can prepare the entire cake, including frosting, up to 24 hours in advance, and let it chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on March 1, 2018.
Excellent I added chopped Mauricio cherries to the cake and frosting also topped the frosting with coconut oh my gosh now I have a pina colada cake add oh add a bit of coconut extract in cake batter.
That sounds amazing, Vicki!! Thank you so much for sharing your version!!
Hi, I have all of the ingredients to make this cake. One question, after removing the cake from the oven, do I let it cool before putting on the frosting?
Yes, the cake should be cooled completely before frosting. Thanks for asking, Marlene!
Update on last comment. After using the full 20 oz can, plus I forgot to mention, in place of eggs, used 3/4 cup of Egg Beaters. I baked it for 40 minutes. Super moist and really good.
Hi, Mary! Thanks so much for sharing your modification. I’m so glad it turned out great!!!
Whoops. I used the whole 20 oz can with the cake. I followed your * sign.
I will let you know how it turned out
So, are you saying you used a 20 oz can of crushed pineapple INSTEAD of the 8 oz can listed in the recipe, by your notation asterisk?
Hi, Ann. So I bought 20oz can of crushed pineapples for the whole recipe. 8oz goes into the cake, plus 1/2 cup drained pineapples for the frosting. Hope this makes sense.
I’m confused. the recipe calls for 1 cup (8oz/240ml) crushed pineapple, but in the notes you say that you used a 20oz can of pineapple. That’s a BIG difference and I’m not understanding why the recipe says 8oz when you used 20 oz
Hi, Angela. So you’ll need 8oz of crushed pineapple for the cake portion, and more for the frosting. Sorry for confusion.
I needed to use pantry ingredients and googled for a cake witht the ingredients I wanted to use. . That’s how I found you. I wound up adding a 1/3 c safflower oil and about 1/3 c of sweetened coconut to the batter. It baked up very nice. I didn’t read the frosting directions thoroughly – thru in the rest of the pineapple un-drained – then had to put the “frosting” in a strainer to let the extra liquid drain. I spread it on the cake, but it was barely enough to frost. I had sugar free vanilla canned frosting, and frosted over the creme cheese and pineapple with it. I topped it w/more sweetened coconut and ground pecans. I just had a small bite now to test it before serving it tonight – WOW! I will make it your way next time but w/a little oil.. Great site BTW!
Hi, Pam! Welcome! So glad you loved the cake. I love your coconut addition. I’ll do that next time. YUM! Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Preparing this cake right now. My question is should l be frosting the cake when it is right out of the oven? Then putting it in the refrigerator immediately after frosting.
Hi, Minnie. Frost the cake after it’s cooled completely. I’ll update the recipe with this detail. Thanks for asking. Hope you’ll love the cake as much as we did. Please let us know how you like it.
I just made this recipe and I followed the directions as shown above. It is in refrig now and I thought I would read the comments and in your last comment you stated the cake should be cooled before adding the frosting. Well you didn’t update the recipe to state that so I hope the cake will come out okay.
Thanks, Kate— thee made my day!