Pineapple Coconut Cake

This pineapple coconut cake is a tropical-flavored dream dessert. It's the perfect blend of sweet pineapple and nutty coconut in every bite.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Pineapple Coconut Cake

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 22

Total Time 52

Servings

Calories 580kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

measuring cups and spoons
mixing bowls
3 8" round baking pan or two 9" round baking pans
parchment circles or parchment paper cut into circles
Stand Mixer or hand mixer
cooling rack

Ingredients

Cake:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsps. vanilla extract
1 cup canned, unsweetened coconut milk full-fat
1 cup pineapple (canned or fresh) chopped into small chunks. Could also use canned pineapple tidbits.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tbsps. canned, unsweetened coconut milk

To Decorate:

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease and line with parchment circles, three (8- inch) baking pans.
In a mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2-1/2 tsps. baking powder, 1/2 tsp table salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted (or use an electric handheld mixer) add the sugar and butter. Beat until light and fluffy - about 2 minutes.
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each incorporation. Add the vanilla extract and coconut milk and beat again until fully combined.
3 large eggs, room temperature, 2 tsps. vanilla extract, 1 cup canned, unsweetened coconut milk
Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beat on a slow speed until just combined.
Lastly, add the chopped pineapple and use a rubber spatula to fold it in by hand.
1 cup pineapple
Divide the cake batter between the three prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 22 minutes. (The cakes are baked when they are a pale golden brown, slightly shrinking away from the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.) Remove from the oven and leave in the pans for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to completely cool.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted, add the confectioners' sugar and butter. Beat until the mixture looks a sandy consistency with no big lumps of butter.
4 cups confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
Add the cream cheese and coconut milk, beating slowly at first to incorporate all the ingredients. Increase the speed to high and beat for 5 minutes after which time you should have a thick and creamy frosting.
8 oz. cream cheese, softened, 3 tbsps. canned, unsweetened coconut milk

To Decorate:

When the cakes have completely cooled place one cake on a serving plate in front of you.
Add one cup of the frosting on top of the cake layer and use a palette knife or spoon to smooth it evenly. Repeat with the second cake layer.
Place the final cake layer on top and press down lightly to secure the cakes. (Some of the frosting will ooze from inside the cake.) Use your palette knife to spread this into a thin layer of frosting around the sides of the cake.
Add a thin layer of frosting to the top of the cake. (It doesn’t have to be neat as this is your crumb coat.)
Place the cake and remaining frosting into the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes. This will make frosting the rest of the cake easier.
Once the cake has chilled, spread the remaining frosting around the sides and on top of the cake.
Use your hands to press the shredded coconut on top of the frosting on the sides of the cake and scatter some around the top surface of the cake.
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Notes

Baking Pans: This cake was baked in three 8-inch pans. If you don’t have three pans you can use two and cut the cakes into four layers. Or have a two layer cake 8-inch cake with thicker layers. You can also use two 9-inch pans. Baking times will vary, depending on the volume of batter in the pans and what size you use. Follow the queues for doneness per the instructions above.

Pineapple: I prefer chopping up the rings as opposed to using tidbits since they are chewier and add a nice texture to the very tender cake. I like using pineapple in it's own juice instead of a sweetened version, but both work. Fresh pineapple, not as sweet, also works in this recipe.

For optimal outcomes when making this pineapple coconut cake, I recommended referring to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

Nutrition