Insanely easy 5-ingredient pineapple cake under 45 minutes from start to finish! Big reward for very little effort, and feeds a crowd!
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Ever since I had Grant, I’ve been all about quick and easy desserts. Yes, I do make those finicky macarons from time to time, but when it comes to dessert for a crowd, I opt for easy ones.
And since I’m so desperate for warm weather, I’m creating spring vibes in my kitchen right now. This delightfully fluffy and sweet pineapple sheet cake with pineapple cream cheese frosting is a definite cure for cabin fever! (Even for a homebody like me, this weather is getting too much! I just want to be able to go for a walk outside.)
Anyway, I think this beautifully simple pineapple cake would make a perfect Easter dessert!
Pineapple Cake Ingredients:
And did I mention you only need 5 ingredients?? Yep, we’re cheating again here with a cake mix. But no shame in my game, because it comes out perfect every time!!!
I’m specifically obsessed with Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe French Vanilla Premium Cake Mix. No, this isn’t sponsored, I just love this specific cake mix for this recipe! With a hint of vanilla, it’s a nice blank canvas to add pineapple flavor. And the cake turns out super fluffy and moist!
Oh and that heavenly frosting!!! Pineapple cream cheese frosting is what makes this cake from awesome to I-can’t-stop-eating-it-awesome. Insanely simple, yet sweet and tangy!
No oil or butter?
Yep, it’s no mistake. I’ve tested it both ways. One with no butter or oil, and another one with 1/3 cup of melted butter. I didn’t feel significant difference in flavor or texture, so I just omit it. Why add more calories if there’s no big improvement, right?
I know you’ll LOVE this cake, and I’d love to read your feedback if you give this a try!
5-Ingredient Pineapple Sheet Cake
Ingredients
For cake:
- 1 box White Cake Mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup 8oz/240ml crushed pineapple with juices*
For frosting:
- 4 oz 115gr plain cream cheese
- ½ cup 120ml 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.
- 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.
- Add sweetened condensed milk and drained crushed pineapple. Beat until combined.
- Pour the frosting over the cake. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
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!