My Big Mama’s pineapple coconut cake recipe was considered a masterpiece in Winona, Mississippi. Back in the day, she would take a whole coconut, crack it and then grate the insides right over the frosting. Her secret was the unique pineapple filling inside. I’m honoring her legendary recipe with a few simple tweaks (not cracking whole coconuts, sorry Big Mama!), but I kept every bit of her love!
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Pineapple Coconut Cake Ingredients
For the Cake
- Unsalted Butter: Make sure it’s at room temp. Salted is fine too, just use 1/2 teaspoon of salt instead.
- Vegetable Oil: Canola or another neutral oil works here too.
- Granulated Sugar: For sweetness.
- Eggs & Yolks: Bring to room temp.
- Cake Flour: You can make homemade cake flour with all-purpose flour and cornstarch if you don’t have any. Swap out the cake flour for a 1:1 ratio gluten-free all-purpose blend. The texture might change a lil however.
- Leavening Agents: Baking powder and salt. Check expiration dates for your leavening.
- Sour Cream: Plain greek yogurt also works here.
- Vanilla & Coconut Extracts: Feel free to use both or just one.
For the Pineapple Filling
- Butter & Cornstarch: This thickens up our filling.
- Sugar & Pineapple: Canned pineapple works fine.
- Lemon Juice: Lime works too. Fresh is best but bottled is fine.
- Vanilla Extract: Use real, not artificial.
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For the Frosting
- Butter & Cream Cheese: Make sure both are room temp for smoothness.
- Confectioner’s Sugar: Sift it to remove any lumps.
- Whipping Cream: Half and half or whole milk works too.
- Extracts & Coconut Flakes: Use both extracts or one. Sweetened flakes are best.
How to make Pineapple Coconut Cake
1
Add
butter and oil to your mixer bowl and beat on high speed.
2
Slowly add in
sugar and beat on high speed until very pale yellow and fluffy.
3
Add
eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
4
Turn
your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments.
5
Add
baking powder and salt. Be careful not to overbeat.
6
Add
sour cream, vanilla and coconut extracts.
7
Scrape down
sides and mix until just combined and turn off mixer. The finished batter should resemble a pale yellow color with a silky thick texture.
8
Evenly pour
cake batter into prepared baking pans and place in oven to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes just barely clean.
9
Remove
cakes from oven and rest in pans. The cake layers should have a rich golden color and spongy texture with tiny bubbles on their tops.
10
Add
all ingredients for the filling into a medium sized pot over medium heat.
11
Begin to stir,
allowing the butter and all ingredients to melt into the crushed pineapple. Cook until the mixture has thickened.
12
Spread
the pineapple filling evenly over one cake layer using a spatula.
13
Place
another cake layer on top, and repeat the process for more layers.
14
Add
butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer and beat on high speed until it begins to thicken and fluff.
15
Slow down
mixer and carefully add in confectioner’s sugar. Once all sugar has incorporated, turn mixer back to high to continue whipping.
16
Add in
heavy cream, vanilla and coconut extract.
17
Continue whipping
until it is smooth, light and a fluffy frosting.
18
Frost
the entire cake with cream cheese frosting.
19
Gentle pat
the sides and top of the cake with coconut flakes, and serve!
Pineapple Coconut Cake
Coconut layer cake with a pineapple filling and a combo cream cheese and buttercream frosting that'll have you licking the bowl!
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Servings: 18 servings
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 cups sifted cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp coconut extract
For the Pineapple Filling
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups crushed pineapple with juice
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1 tsp heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp coconut extract
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
For the Cake
- Start by preheating your oven to 325°F then liberally spray 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with non-stick baking spray.
- In your mixer bowl, add butter and oil and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add in sugar and beat on high speed for an additional 4-5 minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy. Next, add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments then add baking powder and salt. Be careful not to overbeat.
- Lastly, add sour cream, vanilla and coconut extracts, scrape down sides and mix until just combined and turn off mixer. The finished batter should resemble a pale yellow color with a silky thick texture.
- Evenly pour cake batter into prepared baking pans and place in oven to bake for 27-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes just barely clean but don't over bake (crucial not to over bake this cake)!!
- Remove cakes from oven and rest in pans for 10 minutes. The cake layers should have a rich golden color and spongy texture with tiny bubbles on their tops. Invert cakes from pans onto cooling racks until cooled.
For the Filling
- Add all ingredients into a medium sized pot over medium heat. Begin to stir allowing the butter and all ingredients to melt into the crushed pineapple. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until the mixture has thickened. Turn off heat and allow filling to cool to room temperature.
For the Frosting
- Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer and beat on high speed until it begins to thicken and fluff.
- Next slow down mixer and carefully add in confectioner’s sugar. Once all sugar has incorporated, turn mixer back to high to continue whipping.
- Add in heavy cream, vanilla and coconut extract and continue whipping until it is smooth, light and a fluffy frosting.
- To Assemble, add pineapple filling between layers then frost entire cake with cream cheese frosting then gentle pat the sides and top of the cake with coconut flakes. Serve.
Video
Notes
- Batch Baking: If your oven’s playing hard to get with space, don’t stress! Simply bake your cake layers in batches.
- Let the Layers Cool: Frosting a warm cake is a no-no and can make your beautiful frosting slide right off. So be patient y’all, and let those layers cool off.
- Level It Up: For cake layers that look straight from Fleur de Lis (shotout to all my Mississippi boos!), use a serrated knife to level them before frosting.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: Mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing will make your cake dense instead of light and airy.
How to store Pineapple Coconut Cake
Keep your cake fresh and tasty by storing it at room temp. Simply cover it with an airtight container or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap to protect it from drying out. You can also store it in the fridge for a little extra shelf life.How long will Pineapple Coconut Cake last?
At room temperature, your pineapple coconut cake will stay yummy for about 3 to 4 days. If you stored it in the fridge, it can last for up to a week.Can I freeze coconut cake with pineapple filling?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing the whole cake all put together. Instead, wrap each cake layer nice and tight in plastic wrap or pop them in freezer bags. They’ll stay fresh for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to dig in, just let the layers thaw, whip up the filling and frosting, and assemble your cake fresh.Nutrition
Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 135mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 820IU | Vitamin C: 6.1mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 0.8mg
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Recipe Tips
- Batch Baking: Bake your cake layers in batches for even baking.
- Let the Layers Cool: Frosting a warm cake is a no-no and can make your frosting slide right off. Cool the layers completely down.
- Level It Up: For cake layers that look straight from Fleur de Lis (shotout to all my Mississippi boos!), use a serrated knife to level them before frosting.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: Mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing will make your cake dense instead of light and airy.
Recipe Help
My frosting is too runny! How can I fix it?
Don’t panic boo! Try adding a little more confectioner’s sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until it thickens up. You can also pop it back in the fridge for about 15 minutes to help it firm up.
How can I thicken the pineapple filling?
Mix in an extra teaspoon of cornstarch and cook it a few more minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.
Can I make the filling ahead of time?
Yup! You can make it a day in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
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This cake knocks it out of the park EVERY time. I usually 1/2 the recipe and make it in a square 9×9 pan, and it works great. I just cut the cake in half to put filling in.
Awe, thanks doll!
Heavy whipping cream. It’s expensive for just 1 teaspoon. No substitute?
Can the cake layers be frozen until up to the time to frost them
Absolutely!
This my husband’s favorite cake, he calls it “crack cake “
I started using fresh pineapple and he knows for sure now that it’s what makes his tummy happy. I use the cake recipe for almost every cake that I bake. The on this cake is out of site!
Wow thank you so so much Gloria!
Can I add shredded coconut?
Hi Lucy, are you asking if you can add shredded coconut to the cake batter?
Preparing to make this cake for my cousin 65th birthday. I have a question, how are the layers arranged? For instance is one layer up, one layer down, and the final layer up? Or are all three one on top of each other? I want to make it right since it is pressure for me in preparing the cake. I follow your recipes to the letter, and trust me, they never fail, never. Also I have your cookbook. Excellent recipes. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and giving us the reasoning behind the science of baking. Truly appreciative.