Crushed Pineapple Cake — This pineapple cake is an easy, from-scratch poke cake recipe! It’s screaming with pineapple flavor from the crushed pineapple in the cake and the pineapple juice in the glaze.
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Easiest Crushed Pineapple Poke Cake
This is the moistest, softest, juiciest cake I’ve ever made. I literally heard the cake squish when I sliced it from the pineapple juice glaze that soaks into every crevice.
It’s a fast, easy, one-bowl, no mixer, from-scratch recipe that’s as easy as using a boxed mix, which I see often with poke cakes. The cake is just screaming with over-the-top pineapple flavor. If you’re a pineapple cake or pineapple dessert lover, this is the cake for you.
There’s crushed pineapple inside the cake and the glaze is made with pineapple juice. Rather than just pouring the glaze over the top, first take a small paring knife and poke the cake in about 25 spots, lightly twisting the knife with each poke.
You don’t need to make craters or get too wild poking because the glaze finds a way to soak in.
Crushed Pineapple Cake Ingredients
To make this ultra moist glazed pineapple cake, you’ll need only a handful of very common fridge and pantry ingredients.
For the pineapple cake:
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Crushed pineapple
For the pineapple glaze:
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Juice reserved from the canned pineapple
How to Make Pineapple Cake with Crushed Pineapple
Making a scratch pineapple cake is so quick and easy! Here’s an overview of the recipe steps:
Step 1: Make the crushed pineapple cake
- Beat together the wet ingredients, then whisk in the dry.
- Turn the batter into an 8×8-inch baking dish and bake until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (Depending on how moist your crushed pineapple is, your cake may take a little more time than what the recipe calls for.)
- Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool momentarily before making the pineapple glaze.
Step 2: Make the pineapple glaze
- The glaze is made by whisking together some of the pineapple juice left over from the crushed pineapple. You can make the glaze as thin or thick as you’d like!
- Poke the cake all over with a knife, then drizzle the pineapple glaze over top.
Glazing Tip
It may look like there’s too much glaze on the cake, but once it’s had time to chill in the fridge it’ll all soak into the cake!
Tips for Making the Best Pineapple Cake
When mixing together the cake batter, make sure the pineapple has been very well drained. If it’s not, the cake will be so moist and wet that it won’t set.
Also note that baking times may range dramatically due to the moisture level in the pineapple (some fruit is much juicer than others), how well it was drained, climate and oven variances, etc.
If you feel like your crushed pineapple cake is browning too quickly on top before it’s setting up in center, tent with a sheet of foil and bake until done.
Lastly, the longer you can let this crushed pineapple cake soak, the better.
I let mine soak overnight and the next morning I was in pineapple heaven. This is one of the best cakes I’ve ever made and definitely very sweet from all the wonderful pineapple!
Recipe FAQs
I’ve only made this crushed pineapple cake as written, so I can’t say for certain if fresh pineapple will work here. If you try it out and it works for you, please leave me a comment down below!
Definitely! I actually think it tastes better after it’s had time to soak up the glaze.
If you plan on serving this to guests, I recommend doing so within the first 24 hours. The cake will stay fresh up to five days at room temperature, but the glaze slowly sinks to the bottom of the cake over time.
Yes, you should be fine to double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13-inch baking dish. The bake time may vary depending on if your pan is metal or glass.
I suppose you technically don’t have to since the scratch pineapple cake is already super moist and tastes clearly like pineapple. However, the glaze on top really brings things together and makes for a knockout cake!
No, this isn’t a good option for a layer cake because it’s extremely moist and the layers would collapse.
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Glazed Crushed Pineapple Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- one 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained very well with juice reserved
- about 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons pineapple juice, or as needed for consistency
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Wait momentarily before adding the eggs so you don’t scramble them. Add the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
- Add the crushed pineapple and stir to combine. (Reserve the juice for the glaze.)
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 36 to 41 minutes (I baked 39 minutes), or until done. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.*
- Set cake on a wire rack to cool momentarily while you make the glaze.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 3 to 4 tablespoons of reserved pineapple juice, and whisk vigorously until smooth and combined. Depending on glaze consistency and preference, you may need to play with the sugar and juice ratios slightly; set glaze aside.
- Using a small paring knife, poke the cake in about 25 spots, lightly twisting the knife with each poke. You don’t need to make craters or get too wild poking because the glaze finds a way to soak in.
- Evenly pour glaze over the cake. If glaze is pooling near the sides of pan, use a spatula to push it back up into the center and then use the spatula to ‘squish’ it down into the holes. Even if it looks like there’s too much glaze, it eventually soaks in.
- The longer you can let it soak (overnight is optimal) before slicing and serving the cake, the better.
- Cake will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Originally posted June 10, 2015 and reposted July 29, 2022 with updated text.