My favorite kinds of cakes are the ones that need only 5 minutes of prep!
This easy old-fashioned pineapple cake needs just 5 ingredients and comes together faster than you can preheat the oven! It comes out so moist with lots of pineapple flavor.
This moist, sweet cake can be served plain or topped with cream cheese icing or a dollop of freshly whipped cream. No fresh cream? Whipped topping works like a charm!
Why We Love this Easy Cake Recipe
As you likely know, I love recipes that are quick (and yummy) but don’t require tons of dishes or ingredients. This one tops my list.
- This homemade Pineapple Cake is so easy to make, and even easier to serve.
- With just 5 ingredients, if you’ve got crushed pineapple you likely have all of the ingredients on hand.
- Prep takes just a few minutes and one bowl. No stand mixer is required!
- It’s simple to bake in a 9×13, no fussing with layers or multiple cake pans.
- This pineapple cake is best made ahead so all the flavors can meld together!
Ingredients
This cake uses simple ingredients you most likely have on hand!
DRY All-purpose flour, sugar, and baking soda are mixed together to create the dry portion for this cake.
EGGS This recipe uses eggs and crushed pineapple.
PINEAPPLE This cake is full of crushed pineapple for flavor and moisture. If you don’t have crushed pineapple, pulse pineapple tidbits or fresh pineapple in a food processor a few times. Do not drain, the pineapple juice is needed for moisture.
FROSTING Cream cheese frosting or fresh whipped cream will both taste wonderful, use whatever you have on hand!
Optional Additions
- Add 1/2 cup of shredded coconut, some lime zest and a teaspoon of vanilla to the batter.
- Shredded carrots pair perfectly with the crushed pineapple.
- Toasted pecans, walnuts, and especially macadamia nuts add a little crunch and texture to pineapple cake.
- Better yet, sprinkle chopped nuts or toasted coconut on the top.
How to Make Pineapple Cake
This recipe is so simple, it bakes in less than 30 minutes!
- Combine dry ingredients, stir in the eggs, and pineapple per the recipe below.
- Spread the cake batter into a prepared 9×13 pan.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Top with whipped cream or even cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle with chopped nuts or top with pineapple chunks if desired.
Tips for the Perfect Pineapple Cake
- Don’t drain the juices from the can of crushed pineapple to get that moist, sweet flavor.
- Because this cake has fruit, it should be stored in the fridge. It will keep for 3-4 days.
- This cake can be frozen. Cut into portions or freeze the entire cake by wrapping it in plastic wrap, then foil and label the outside with the date.
- Pineapple cake should last about 6 weeks in the freezer.
More Pineapple Treats
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Hummingbird Cake
- Easy Ambrosia Salad
- Pineapple Coconut Rice Krispie Squares
- 3 Ingredient Pineapple Angel Food Cake
- Pina Colada Cake
- Grilled Pineapple
Did your family love this Pineapple Cake? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 20 ounces crushed pineapple with juices, 1 can
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 pan.
- Combine flour, sugar and baking soda in a bowl and mix well.
- Stir in eggs and pineapple until very well mixed. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overcook.
- Top with cream cheese frosting or whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Followed the recipe and it turned out a stodgy, sticky, tasteless mess. All I could taste was flour. Such a shame.
Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that Ayunda. We have made this many times and enjoyed it as written, as have other readers. Did you measure your flour by fluffing it and spooning into the measuring cup, or did you scoop it? Did you use crushed pineapple including the juice?
This is the best pineapple cake recipe! Thanks!! Now im going to make your recipe for low fat cream cheese frosting
I just made this cake and it was delicious! The fact that it doesn’t have any butter or fat I made my husband very happy so I guess he will be eating half of it! I added chopped pecans to the better and didn’t make any frosting or icing for it. It wasn’t too sweet either. I’ve seen similar recipes that had two cups of sugar, and I’m sure it could have been sweeter for someone with a really sweet tooth, but it was fine for us. I may try it again later with the cream cheese frosting. Great recipe! I really like that I didn’t have to get my mixer out and was able to mix it all with a big spoon.
I love this recipe! the ingredients are cheap and it’s so easy to make – I already made it two times in 3 months. I add a tsp of vanilla and it comes out real nice. Thank you for the recipe!
Yum, thanks for the suggestion Ivy. That would be delicious.
The best cake ever! Followed your recipe to the letter, and wow, it is delicious.
Toasted then chopped some macadamia nuts and added them to the batter. Added great flavor. Was glad to use up leftover fresh pineapple. Thanks for the recipe.
I used about 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple with juice) and about 1 cup fresh mandarin orange pieces. I used 1/2 the sugar (3/4 cup) plus 1/2 the cream cheese frosting recipe and the cake was plenty sweet. I might only make 1/4 of the frosting next time to better taste the citrus cake or just use whipped cream. The cake was thinner than a normal cake and, as mentioned in the recipe, extremely moist, less cakey. I liked that there was no butter in the recipe. I added toasted coconut to the top. Overall a nice recipe.
Made this as written and it came out perfect and delicious! Such a simple recipe for something so good! Thanks Holly. Another great recipe!
No butter??????
No butter is needed in this recipe.
I could not taste pineapple all from cake but it was very moist & easy to make i think it is missing vanilla extract
I want to make this pineapple cake but can I cut it in half and use a small pan like 9 or 8 square pan? Should I reduce baking time?
I haven’t tried making half of this recipe but I can’t see any reason this would not work. Baking time will need to be reduced.
please tell do i use sr flour or plain thank you
Spend With Pennies recipes always use all purpose flour unless it says otherwise. Use all purpose (plain) for this recipe Mrs. Rushton. Enjoy!
Great cake, easy, quick, moist, not too sweet, everyone loved it. Definitely a keeper!! Thanks
Hi..can I use homemade pineapple preserve instead of tinned pineapple? If yes, pls give me replacement quantity…thanks.
If it’s similar to jam, the preserves would contain more sugar and have less moisture so I didn’t think it would work
I just made this cake, with fresh pineapple, and it turned out really, really good! I did add an extra egg to make up for lack of liquid from the juices of canned pineapple.
I had no cream cheese so I made a butter cream frosting and topped with chopped walnuts.
Scrumptious!
I like the texture of the cake but there was something not quite right about the taste. I’m thinking it was the fact we didn’t add any cream cheese frosting, which would have added fat and salt to the overall taste. So if you want to make it I would say plan to make the frosting as well.
How long wouldit take in a bundt pan and what glaze coule you put on it? Thanks- I just love your recipes
Thanks Jackie! I would suggest just a vanilla glaze. As for cooking in a bundt pan, I haven’t tried it in a bundt pan but I would start checking for doneness at about 35 minutes.
Moist and tasty – DH really likes it. Thank you!
Umm i guess i just dont like pineapple cake? Now i just have a whole bunch of cake here that i dont like. Came out just like the picture on the recipe and is very moist so i guess the recipe works? Wanted to make pineapple cake because i had never heard of it before. But it taste terrible i just cant eat it… i didnt put any fosting but i dont think frosting could redeem it.
This cake had absolutely no pineapple flavor. The cake itself tasted like flour. Thank goodness I put cream cheese frosting on it. That was the only thing that had flavor.
I’m sorry to hear that Chi. We have made this many times and enjoyed it as written, as have other readers. Did you measure your flour by fluffing it and spooning into the measuring cup, or did you scoop it? Did you use crushed pineapple including the juice?