Pineapple Coconut Cake – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Pineapple coconut cake is a wealthy white cake filled with pineapple taste and only a trace of coconut, layered with a velvety clean, indulgent coconut cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with toasted coconut. It’s the right dessert for coconut and pineapple lovers alike. 

Pineapple Coconut Cake

Useful canned pineapple and a splash of coconut milk make this particular cake paying homage to a Pina Colada. You already understand how a lot I really like a well-stocked pantry and these are two meals that you’ll at all times discover in my kitchen.

This isn’t your common pineapple cake. The pineapple is pureed and combined into the precise white cake batter so that you get the tropical taste in each chunk. The ensuing batter was so moist and pineapple-y that I may hardly imagine it.

Coconut Frosting

In a nod of understanding to all the individuals who can’t get previous the feel of coconut, it is a clean frosting flavored with creamy coconut milk. This provides the frosting a refined coconut style with out the feel that some would possibly discover off-putting.

The upper fats content material in canned coconut milk makes the frosting good and creamy. Use the complete fats number of canned coconut milk relatively than the lite or reduced-fat variations for one of the best outcomes.

The coconut milk will get blended with cream cheese and powdered sugar to develop into a creamy candy cake frosting that’s price licking the spoon for. Please word that refrigerated coconut milk is not going to work on this recipe.

When making the straightforward coconut cake frosting, you should definitely solely beat the cream cheese in with the remainder of substances till simply mixed. In the event you beat it for too lengthy, the icing is susceptible to develop into runny irrespective of how far more powdered sugar you add.

You might be welcome so as to add shredded coconut to the frosting, however I skipped it this time to create a coconut flavored frosting that the coconut-texture-avoidant members of my household would nonetheless love.

I like sprinkling toasted coconut flakes on high of this cake as a garnish and for slightly further crunch however once more, provided that I do know everybody I’m serving it to is on board with the feel.

Pinapple Coconut Cake Recipe

The ultimate addition to this pina colada impressed cake is the addition of a tiny little bit of darkish rum to the frosting. It provides a depth of taste that I loved mixed with the pineapple and coconut flavors.

In the event you can’t or don’t need to use rum within the frosting, coconut extract is an ideal substitution or you may merely omit it altogether.

As a result of this Pineapple Coconut Cake is so moist, it retains nicely within the fridge for 2-3 days and I particularly love the best way the cake tastes when it’s chilly. It’s a super summertime dessert that’ll make you consider sipping pina coladas (or Pineapple Mojitos) by the pool.

I’ve made this cake each the common manner and with gluten-free flour substitutions and it turned out nicely each methods. Try all the Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes on this web site!

Coconut and Pineapple Cake

To make this delectable deal with, you’ll want the next substances:

• pineapple tidbits
• eggs
• sugar
• canned coconut milk
• butter
• vanilla extract
• flour
• baking powder
• teaspoon kosher salt
• cream cheese
• powdered sugar
• Optionally available: darkish rum or coconut extract, and sweetened coconut

Please keep in mind that the coconut milk you purchase from the refrigerated part of the grocery retailer is not going to work on this recipe. You want full-fat canned coconut milk.

Straightforward Pineapple Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (2) 8-inch or 9-inch spherical pans.

Place the pineapple chunks in a blender or meals processor and puree till fully clean. In a big mixing bowl, beat the eggs and the sugar till clean.

Stir within the coconut milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, stir to mix. Add 1 cup of the pureed pineapple and stir as soon as extra.

Divide the batter between the ready pans. Bake for 35-38 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted within the heart of the cake comes out clear.

Let the truffles cool within the pans for quarter-hour, earlier than rigorously inverting over a wire rack. Let the truffles cool fully.

Place the cream cheese in a big mixing bowl and beat with an electrical mixer till clean. Sprinkle in half of the powdered sugar and beat to mix.

Add the remaining sugar and beat once more. Pour within the coconut milk and the vanilla, beat to mix after which style the frosting. Alter the sugar as desired, and add a tiny splash of rum, if you need.

Place one layer of the cake on a plate, high with ⅓ of the frosting, smoothing it gently throughout the cake, nearly to the sting. Gently place the second cake over the frosting layer.

I like to put the primary cake upright after which flip the second cake over, in order that the tops are going through in and the underside is on high offering a pleasant flat layer. Scoop the remaining frosting onto the highest cake and gently unfold it throughout the cake.

Sprinkle with coconut, if desired, and chill within the fridge till able to serve.

Baking Ideas

Watch out to keep away from overbeating the cream cheese for the frosting. Cease beating it as quickly as it’s clean.

Whether it is overwhelmed for too lengthy, it’ll develop into runny and all of the sugar on the earth received’t thicken it once more. I actually just like the trace of rum within the frosting, however it’s scrumptious each with and with out it. 

This cake may also be made in a 9×13 pan. Enable the cake to chill earlier than icing it within the pan or flip the cooled cake out onto a platter and frost fully.

To toast the coconut, preheat the oven to broil. Unfold the coconut throughout a baking pan and place it within the oven.

Don’t stroll away. Watch the coconut because it begins to brown, it’ll solely take a few minute to toast and it’ll burn lightning quick if you happen to aren’t paying consideration.

Recipes with Pineapple and Coconut

Like I discussed earlier, I really like cooking and baking with canned pineapple. I can also’t get sufficient contemporary pineapple.

In the event you try to love this cake as a lot as my household did, you’re additionally prone to love my Pineapple Mojito Fruit Salad (which, like Pineapple Coconut Cake, was impressed by my enjoyment of pineapple flavored drinks just like the Pineapple Coconut Sour) and Mango Pineapple Ice Cream.

Convey on the pineapple and coconut for breakfast, too! Check out our Pineapple Coconut Baked Oatmeal and Hawaiian Banana Bread with Pineapple and Coconut.

For extra coconut and pineapple dessert goodness, you also needs to have Pineapple Coconut Bars in your radar. They’re the whole lot that’s scrumptious about this cake in bar type with a crispy shortbread crust and coconut flakes.

And the way may I overlook to say Pina Colada Ice Cream and Coconut Pineapple Smoothie Ice Cream? The names converse for themselves.

{initially revealed 8/13/15 – recipe notes and images up to date 1/22/25}