Quintessential spring cake got a tropical makeover! PIÑA COLADA angel food cake, bursting with tropical flavors, is here to impress.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this cake recipe:
This light and airy angel food cake is loaded with tropical piña colada flavors! Pineapples, coconut and cherries on top.
No matter what’s the occasion, this beautiful cake is sure to impress!
Ingredient notes:
- Cake flour – Cake flour makes the most tender and light cake, thanks to its low protein content. See my homemade version.
- Eggs – I recommend fresh egg whites over carton egg whites for best volume. And here’re 6 ideas for leftover egg yolks.
- Cream of tartar is an acid that stabilizes the egg whites, making a stronger and more stable meringue, the base of this cake. While it’s highly recommended, it’s not a crucial ingredient.
- Pineapple – I used a can of crushed pineapple in 100% juice for this recipe. We’ll use the pineapple chunks in the whipped cream, and juice for soaking the cake.
How to make this recipe:
1. Angel food cake
We’ll make the angel food cake from scratch because homemade is the best! I’ve already shared my classic version with lots of step by step photos, so I won’t repeat myself here.
But if you decide to buy yours, I won’t judge.
2. Whipped cream filling
- Whisk ½ a cup of heavy cream with 2-4 tablespoons of sugar until hard peaks form. (Adjust the sugar to your taste.)
- Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice for later. Carefully fold the crushed pineapple into the whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Cream cheese frosting
- Whip cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of the reserved pineapple juice, and 2 teaspoons of coconut extract.
- Continue to beat until nice and smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Toasted coconut flakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Spread the coconut flakes evenly on a cookie sheet. Bake it for 5-8 minutes or until nice and golden, stirring every few minutes.
Tip
Toasted coconut flakes take this cake from great to the greatest. You’ll love its addicting crisp crunch!
5. Assemble the cake:
- Cut the cooled cake horizontally and remove the top layer. Using a small knife, cut out a tunnel in the center of the bottom layer.
- Soak the bottom cake evenly with a little bit of the reserved pineapple juice (mix with rum, if desired).
- Fill the tunnel (bottom layer of cake) with pineapple whipped cream. Place the top layer on and frost the outside of the cake with cream cheese frosting. Then cover the outside of the cake with toasted coconut flakes.
- If desired, pipe cream cheese frosting on the top and garnish with maraschino cherries.
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Angel food cake: This angel food cake can be made 1 day in advance. Once cooled, remove from pan, cover with plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature.
- Cream cheese frosting: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I don’t recommend making whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes in advance. They’re quick and easy to make!
Storing Tips:
Store leftover cake, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Hope you’ll try this cake, and please let me know if you do. Thanks for stopping by!
Piña Colada Angel Food Cake
Quintessential spring cake got a tropical makeover! PIÑA COLADA Angel Food Cake, bursting with tropical flavors, is here to stay.
Ingredients
For cake:
- 1 cup cake flour Note 1
- 1 ½ cups (300g) caster sugar Note 2
- 12 egg whites Note 3
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar Note 4
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For pineapple whipped cream filling:
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2-4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple
For coconut pineapple cream cheese frosting:
- 8 oz (225g) cream cheese Note 5
- ¼ cup (55g) unsalted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pineapple juice from the can
- 2 teaspoons coconut extract
- 2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
- Maraschino cherries optional
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Sift together cake flour and ¾ cup of sugar.
- In a large mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy on a low speed.
- Add cream of tartar and salt and continue to beat, gradually increasing the speed to high.
- When the egg whites get whiter, add remaining ¾ cup of sugar one tablespoon at a time.
- Add pure vanilla extract and continue to beat on high speed until hard peaks form.
- Transfer the whipped egg whites into a large bowl.
- Add flour/sugar mixture and carefully mix everything together. Be careful not to deflate the batter too much.
- Now transfer the batter to ungreased angel food cake pan. Even out the surface. Run a butter knife through the batter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes. It’s ready if the inserted wooden stick comes out clean.
- Cool the cake completely in the pan upside down for 90-120 minutes. This will make sure the cake stays soft and fluffy while cooling.
For pineapple whipped cream filling:
- Whisk the heavy cream with sugar until hard peaks form. (Adjust the sugar to your taste.)
- Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice for later. Carefully fold in the crushed pineapple into the whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make cream cheese frosting:
- In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment beat cream cheese and butter on medium high speed.
- Add powdered sugar, pineapple juice and coconut extract. Continue to beat until nice and smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To toast the coconut flakes:
- Spread the coconut flakes evenly on a cookie sheet. Bake it for 5-8 minutes at 350°F (177°C), or until nice and golden, stirring every few minutes.
To assemble the cake:
- Cut the cooled cake horizontally and remove the top layer. Using a small knife, cut out a tunnel in the center of the bottom layer.
- Evenly soak the cake with a little bit of reserved pineapple juice (mix with rum, if desired).
- Fill the tunnel with pineapple whipped cream. Place the top layer and frost with cream cheese frosting. Then cover with toasted coconut flakes.
- If desired, pipe cream cheese frosting on the top and garnish with maraschino cherries.
Tips & Notes
Note 1: To make homemade cake flour, measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons of it and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Sift and you have a DIY cake flour!
Note 2: Caster sugar is basically super fine granulated sugar. If you don’t have it, you may pulse regular granulated sugar in a food processor, or blender, until nice and fine. Fine sugar dissolves quicker in the meringue, creating nice and stable meringue. Powdered sugar (or confectioner’s sugar) won’t work here.
Note 3: Fresh egg whites are best for making Angel food cake. And here’re 6 ideas for leftover egg yolks.
Note 4: Cream of tartar is an acid that stabilizes egg whites, making stronger and more stable meringue. While it’s highly recommended, it’s not crucial ingredient.
Note 5: Make sure to use plain brick-style cream cheese for nice and sturdy frosting.
Storing Tip:
Store leftover cake, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Store leftover cake, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 467kcal, Carbohydrates: 71g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 34mg, Sodium: 298mg, Potassium: 250mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 60g, Vitamin A: 593IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this?Share a comment or a review below!
How can you make this sugar free?
Hi Barbara! I’m afraid you can’t. Sugar is imperative for the structure of the cake.
This is creative! Great flavor combination.
Thank you, Megan!!
My favorite cake is Angel Food Cake and my husband’s fav drink is a Pina Colada–we have a winner here 😉
Yay! Hope you’ll make it this spring! You guys will love it! Thanks, Kristen!
Loving the Piña Colada twist!
Thank you!