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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Excellent recipe!! The cake turned out perfect. Your recipes never fail!!!
Will be making for future Easter dinners.
Thanks, boo!! So glad you liked it!
Can I use this recipe for cupcakes instead? I’ve made the 3 layer cake twice and it was so perfectly moist and delicious. I would love to make cupcakes though.
Yes! You can def make this recipe into cupcakes. I have a pineapple cucpcake recipe that I would use for the baking times, etc. https://grandbaby-cakes.com/pineapple-cupcakes/
I made this cake for Thanksgiving and it was a hit!!!
Yay! So happy to hear that, boo!
Just freshly baked last night for my guys birthday today. So far it was a success.
Yay! So happy that you made it for you boo!
Sis! This recipe is absolutely perfect! I made it on Christmas Eve and everyone loved it! Initially, I was going to eat just one piece. . .didn’t quite work out. LOL! I did not have coconut extract. I ended up using the cream from the top of a can of coconut milk and subbing that for the sour cream. It worked perfectly! Your recipe is a keeper.
This comment just made my day. Thank you so so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Can I bake the filling in the cake and turn this into a bundt cake?? Thanks
Hi Baku, thanks so much for sending. I did not test this recipe in that manner so I cannot provide you with exact information this however I would suggest instead that you bake the sour cream pound cake recipe in the bundt and split it in half and add the filling as it is written.
I made this cake for the Christmas holidays, and it was definitely moist and delicious without changing anything in your recipe. It will definitely be one of my go-to cakes in the line-up of my cake baking.
Thank you so so much Kevin! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Hi, I followed frosting recipe to the tee and the taste was fabulous. The problem was it was not enough for a ,,,3 layer cake. I was suspect when I saw 4 oz for Cream cheese in the frosting recipe.
The cream cheese frosting only goes on the outside of the cake and not inside of the cake since the pineapple filling goes there. You can also double if you want more of course.
Hi! Can I use all-purpose flour as a substitute for cake flour?
You can make your own cake flour using all purpose flour with this recipe: https://grandbaby-cakes.com/how-to-make-cake-flour/
This is the best cake I’ve ever made! Truly SO SO SO good. So insanely moist and flavorful and not too sweet. Next time I might add a little more lemon juice to the filling, but otherwise this was just perfection.
Thank you so much!
This cake is amazing! Easy and delicious. I made it for my parent’s 60th anniversary and it was a hit. Will definitely make again. Thanks for a great recipe.
So happy to hear that everyone loved it and I am flattered that you made it for them for their 60th!