Pineapple Coconut Cake that’s made with a boxed cake mix, instant pudding mix and topped with a delicious coconut whipped cream frosting & shredded coconut. Amazing tropical flavored sheet cake recipe!
Making this coconut pineapple cake is so simple, using a boxed cake mix and adding a few more tasty ingredients, the results are a delightful dessert! This pineapple cake with coconut is a wonderful treat to make for many occasions, serve it up at your next summertime event and enjoy this refreshing and light cake.
Pineapple Cake with Coconut Cream Frosting
We truly love this cake, it is so simple to make and is so delicious! It is made in a 9×13 baking dish, so it is plenty big enough to slice and serve up at a party, but it is also just as great for enjoying throughout the week with your family. Keep it chilled for a nice break from the hot summer heat.
This recipe is great because it makes a large cake so that there will be plenty of it to share with family and friends. Bringing a sheet cake like this one to a potluck or family gathering is perfect because with one box of cake mix you can feed a large crowd. The more the merrier!
Why we think you will enjoy this amazing cake recipe
For more convincing to give this cake a try, read our top reasons why we think it is truly sensational.
- It is super simple! Made with boxed cake mix you already know it is going to have easy steps and basic ingredients. This is a great cake for any experienced or inexperienced home chef.
- It looks incredible! You will love this pineapple cake and look for any excuse to make it again. One great reason would be because it is so pretty! Toast the coconut and add some cherries for garnish for an even sweeter appearance.
- It is easy to serve up. Easy pineapple cake is rectangle shaped thanks to the baking dish, which makes it easy to cut into squares and serving, or covering and storing the leftovers for later. If there are any!
Coconut Pineapple Cake Ingredients
Cake Batter
Boxed cake mix: You will need one 15.25-ounce sized box of yellow cake mix or French vanilla flavored cake mix (just the dry mix).
Canned pineapple: Use (2) 8-ounce sized cans of crushed pineapple that have been drained, with the juice reserved.
Pudding mix: Adding one 3.4-ounce sized box of vanilla flavored instant pudding will make the cake taste even better. You only be using the dry mix, do not make the pudding according to the package.
Pineapple juice: Use ½ cup of the reserved pineapple juice from the canned pineapple to get an even stronger tropical flavor.
Eggs: 4 eggs are needed to bind the cake together and give it the proper texture.
Oil: You will want to use ⅓ cup of vegetable oil to give the cake much-needed fats to stay moist for days.
Frosting
Whipping cream: For a light and fluffy frosting you will need 1 cup of cold heavy whipping cream.
Powdered sugar: Use ¼ cup of powdered sugar to make the frosting smooth and sweet.
Flavorings: For added flavor, you will need ½ teaspoon each of vanilla extract and coconut extract. If you do not have coconut extract, you can leave it out and/or have double the vanilla flavor if you’d like.
Coconut: Add ½ cup of sweetened shredded coconut for flavor and texture. You can even toast the coconut if desired.
How to Make Pineapple Coconut Cake
Prep
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Then, grease the inside of a 9×13 baking dish and set it aside.
Cake Batter
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, crushed pineapple, dry pudding mix, pineapple juice, eggs, and oil.
Using an electric handheld mixer or kitchen aid mixer, mix on low speed for 1 minute, while stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Continue to beat on medium speed for 2 additional minutes, and scrape down the sides of the bowl another two times through the process.
Bake
Proceed to pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish.
Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
then allow the cake to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Prepare Frosting
Make sure that the cake has cooled completely before beginning the frosting so that the frosting does not melt on the cake.
Use a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment to beat the heavy cream on high speed with the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and coconut extract until stiff peaks form and it has a whipped cream consistency. This should take about 4-5 minutes. Do not overbeat the cream or you will make butter.
After that, spread the prepared frosting evenly over the top of the cake and top with the shredded coconut.
Slice, serve and enjoy!
What other garnishes can I top the cake with?
A pineapple cake is a tasty and tropical treat that can be decorated with any number of creative and fun toppings. If you’re looking for something fruity, you can add cherries, mandarin oranges, fresh pineapple rings or mango slices. Cream cheese frosting or vanilla whipped cream make for a lovely classic addition. For those with an affinity for chocolate, consider sprinkling on some dark chocolate shavings or adding ribbons of melted chocolate. The options are truly endless – you could even top it all off with some nutty toasted coconut flakes, cherries or edible flowers. Enjoy building your own delicious decoration masterpiece!
Pineapple Coconut Cake
Ingredients
Cake ingredients:
- 15.25 oz vanilla cake mix
- 16 oz crushed pineapple (drain & reserve juice)
- 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
- ½ cup reserved pineapple juice if it’s not enough, add water to equal ½ cup
- 4 eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
Frosting ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon coconut extract
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Prep: Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Then, grease the inside of a9x13 baking dish and set it aside.
- Cake batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, crushed pineapple, dry pudding mix, pineapple juice, eggs, and oil.
- Using an electric handheld mixer or kitchen aid mixer, mix on low speed for1 minute, while stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Continue to beat on medium speed for 2 additional minutes, and scrape down the sides of the bowl another two times through the process.
- Bake: Proceed to pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean. Then allow the cake to cool completely before adding the frosting.
- Prepare Frosting: Use a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment to beat the heavy cream on high speed with the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and coconut extract until stiff peaks form and it has a whipped cream consistency. This should take about 4-5 minutes. Do not overbeat the cream or you will make butter.
- After that, spread the prepared frosting evenly over the top of the cake and top with the shredded coconut. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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How should I store the pineapple cake?
This cake can be kept covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. This should give you plenty of time to enjoy a slice of this heavenly dessert.
Can I freeze a pineapple cake?
You can freeze pineapple cake, but know that upon defrosting, the cake will be more moist, so the texture will change considerable. Freezing a pineapple cake is actually not usually recommended. Try freezing a slice or two and then defrost it, seeing if you like the results then you can decide if you’d like to freeze the whole thing.
If you’re looking to make your pineapple cake last longer, consider slicing the cake and storing each individual piece in an airtight container in the fridge. This will limit the cake’s exposure, thus making it last longer.
Check out these other great pineapple Recipes:
- PINEAPPLE TERIYAKI MEATBALLS
- PINEAPPLE SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
- CHICKEN PINEAPPLE TACOS
- PINEAPPLE CHERRY QUICK BREAD
- Pineapple Bundt Cake
- CREAMY PINEAPPLE LEMON JELLO
- Easy Crushed Pineapple Cake
- MANDARIN ORANGE CAKE WITH PINEAPPLE FROSTING
- CHEESY GRILLED PINEAPPLE CHICKEN
- PINEAPPLE QUICK BREAD
- GRILLED HONEY CHICKEN WITH GLAZED PINEAPPLE
- EASY PINEAPPLE CAKE
- GRILLED PINEAPPLE WITH COCONUT GLAZE
- BBQ CHICKEN PINEAPPLE KABOBS with BACON
Pineapple Coconut Cake is a lovely tropical tasting dessert with a fluffy and moist texture. This pineapple cake is made with a boxed cake mix, instant pudding and a delicious coconut flavored whipped cream frosting and shredded coconut on top.
Terri says
Does it matter if it’s a metal or glass sheet pan?
Jessica says
MEtal pans generally bake things faster where glass pans can take a few minutes longer. So just watch it as it gets close to fully baked and adjust accordingly, depending on what type of pan you use.