Back in the day, my Big Mama would make her famous pineapple coconut cake by taking a whole coconut, cracking it, then grating the insides over the frosting. Her secret was also the unique pineapple filling inside. I’m honoring her legendary recipe that takes classic coconut cake to new heights with a few simple tweaks (not cracking whole coconuts, sorry Big Mama!), but I kept every bit of her love!
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How to make Pineapple Coconut Cake
Mix the Cake Batter and Bake
Step 1: Add butter and oil to your mixer bowl and beat on high speed. Slowly add in sugar and beat on high speed until very pale yellow and fluffy.
Step 2: 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.
Step 3: Add baking powder and salt. Be careful not to overbeat. Add sour cream, vanilla and coconut extracts.
Step 4: 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.
Step 5: 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.
Step 6: 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.
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Make the Filling and Frosting
Step 7: For the filling, Add all ingredients for the filling into a medium sized pot over medium heat.
Step 8: Begin to stir, allowing the butter and all ingredients to melt into the crushed pineapple. Cook until the mixture has thickened.
Step 9: 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. Slow down mixer and carefully add in confectioner’s sugar. Once all sugar has incorporated, turn mixer back to high to continue whipping.
Step 10: Add in heavy cream, vanilla and coconut extract. Continue whipping until it is smooth, light and a fluffy frosting.
Assemble
Step 11: Spread the pineapple filling evenly over one cake layer using a spatula. Place another cake layer on top, and repeat the process for more layers.
Step 12: Frost the entire cake with cream cheese frosting.
Step 13: Gentle pat the sides and top of the cake with coconut flakes, and serve!
Pineapple Coconut Cake Recipe
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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. Ingredient Swaps and InformationPineapple 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.
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- Vegetable Oil: Canola or another neutral oil works here too.
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- Granulated Sugar: For sweetness.
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- Eggs & Yolks: Bring to room temp.
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- 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.
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- Leavening Agents: Baking powder and salt. Check expiration dates for your leavening.
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- Sour Cream: Plain greek yogurt also works here.
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- Vanilla & Coconut Extracts: Feel free to use both or just one.
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- Butter & Cornstarch: This thickens up our filling.
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- Sugar & Pineapple: Canned pineapple works fine.
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- Lemon Juice: Lime works too. Fresh is best but bottled is fine.
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- Vanilla Extract: Use real, not artificial.
For the Frosting
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- Butter & Cream Cheese: Make sure both are room temp for smoothness.
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- Confectioner’s Sugar: Sift it to remove any lumps.
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- Whipping Cream: Half and half or whole milk works too.
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- Extracts & Coconut Flakes: Use both extracts or one. Sweetened flakes are best.
Nutrition
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
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.
Mix in an extra teaspoon of cornstarch and cook it a few more minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.
Yup! You can make it a day in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
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Once again, this cake was a slam dunk for Christmas – which is the *only* time I bake this cake. I need a sanity check. I’m excellent at making this cake, but I experience a bit of anxiety close to the end of the baking time. Last year, I over-baked the cake-because I waited until the toothpick test was *clean*. This year, I thought it was slightly underbaked, but others raved about it having an incredibly creamy and moist texture. So avid bakers, I need some help….what is meant in the instructions: “…a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes “just barely” clean but don’t overbake (crucial not to over bake this cake)???… Specifically – the *just barely* reference.
This cake was a hit at Thanksgiving. It is flavorful and the pineapple filling is not too sweet which allows you to enjoy the pineapple taste.
Hi. Just a quick question. Do you recommend using the convection setting or just the regular bake setting?
Thanks!
Hi Valeria! I know that this comment is posted “a little” late, but I also have a convection oven and enjoy baking my cakes anywhere between 2-6 minutes less than the instructions say. (I usually do five minutes earlier just to check, then add one-minute bursts until fully baked.) Still bake your cake at the same temperature so it bakes fully in the middle.
This is my favorite cake I’ve ever made. It’s beautiful to look at and the tartness plus sweet cake is perfect, the texture mix of whipped frosting plus thick butter cake is perfect. As another commenter said, I too underbaked a bit. My oven couldn’t handle all 3 pans at once, and it took 45 minutes for my layers to bake. I couldn’t find coconut extract so I used some coconut oil and almond extract instead. Just a wonderful recipe!
I made this cake for my husband, while we were in quarantine. He ate a piece then pulled the cake plate closer to himself and ate directly from the tray!
I’m addicted to your site. Thank you.
Thank you for the beautiful recipes. I made a gluten free version of your coconut pineapple Cake (subbed gluten free 1:1 flour and added a cup of coconut milk to account for dryness) for my husbands birthday and it came out amazing. Even our gluten eating family members had two slices!
This cake is delicious! Moist, sweet, and perfectly balanced. I used a little more lemon in the filling and omitted the vanilla, and used coconut rum instead of extract because it is what I had on hand, and it was perfect. I also made it using gluten free flour and it was still delicious. This cake is a guaranteed hit!
Hello!
Can we use unsweetened coconut?
If you would like.
I made this cake a day ahead for a birthday, should I refrigerate it overnight?
I made this cake for a birthday gathering and it was a hit! I did under bake it a bit which was my own fault. I placed all 3 cake pans on one oven shelf and used convection not realizing you shouldn’t use convection for baking cakes. Lesson learned!
Jocelyn, any tips on baking 3 layers at a time? Do you stagger and rotate during baking?
Thanks!