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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More Pineapple Dessert Recipes:
The Best Pineapple Upside-Down Cake — So soft, moist and really is The Best! A cheery, happy cake that’s sure to put a smile on anyone’s face!
Tropical Escape Soft Pineapple Crumble Bars — Sweet, soft bars with big pineapple chunks that taste like a tropical vacation!
Pineapple Coconut Oil Banana Bread — Soft, moist, fluffy banana bread with pineapple chunks! Tastes like a tropical vacation!
Pineapple Lush Parfaits — This is a 4-ingredient, no-bake dessert that’s ridiculously easy, you don’t need a mixer, and you don’t have to turn your oven on!
Layered Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – A tender and moist classic two-layer carrot cake with tangy-sweet cream cheese frosting! For anyone who loves carrot cake, this cake looks and tastes so impressive but is EASY to make!
Hummingbird Cake — A super SOFT and moist cake with bananas, pineapple, coconut, cream cheese frosting, and pecans!!
Pineapple Coconut Bars — Eat your piña colada rather than drinking one with these fast, EASY, no-mixer bars that taste TROPICAL!! Pineapple, coconut, white chocolate, and cherries!!
Originally posted June 10, 2015 and reposted July 29, 2022 with updated text.
One bowl cake yes please! I have just tried a pineapple upside down cake for the first time last month and loved it. I am so excited to try this poke cake. It sound just as moist as a tres leche cake which are my favorite it cake.This cake looks sooo amazing.
It’s so pretty!! I bet it tasted – and smelled – amazing. Funny thing…I have a similar cake tomorrow. But at least it’s not pineapple! LOL
Great minds think alike…always!! :)
Oh how I wish I had a can of pineapple in my pantry. I LOVE pineapple & will make this as soon as I get to the store. Thanks for the recipe!
I can hear the cake cracking from all that glaze as well, Averie this looks heavenly delicious, and as I pineapple lover I am freaking out over these photos and cake!
I was literally JUST talking about pineapple cake not even 5 minutes ago. Yours looks absolutely amazing!
It was fate, now you have to make this :)
Poke cakes are the best!!! Love this pineapple version. Must try!
Pineapple in cake is a magical, wonderful thing. I don’t even understand what makes it so good. It just IS!!!
Totally magical!
I seriously cannot even handle how ultra-moist and soft this cake looks! Would you believe that I’ve never made a poke cake in my life?? I think you just convinced me. ;) This cake is gorgeous beyond words!
This was my first one and I’m hooked now!!
Love how easy this is, I’m always sold on a one bowl recipe!! Looks so moist!
Drenching the cake in a glaze seemed like a really great idea to make the cake real moist. Wish I had gotten the can of pineapple yesterday!
Just put the ingredients I need for this into my phone to get today! Mmmm
Awesome! LMK how it comes out!!
I JUST made my first poke cake last week! I don’t know what took me SO long, because they are the moistest and tastiest cakes ever. This would be good with a pina colada ;) Pinned!
This was my first one and I’m hooked now! And you’re onto something with a pina colada pairing :)
Oh I can never get enough pineapple…I literally eat pineapple everyday..this cake is just another way for me to get my pineapple fix in the best way possible. Your cakes are always so moist I can’t imagine how moist this one is with all that yummy glaze soaking in. Your pineapple upside cake is one of my favorite recipes. I’m definitely trying this.
It’s the most moist cake I’ve ever made from the glaze soaking in and you know me, I already am a moist-cake-only girl! And I am on vacation right now and eating my weight in pineapple :) Love it so much!
Poke cakes are so cool–more glaze soaking in is always better! This looks like a great summer cake that won’t have a melt down outside. I’ll have to check out Southern Uncovered this weekend–sounds interesting.
I’m excited to tune in and see it, too!
Oh my goodness, Averie! I’m going to a concert on Friday night and this would go perfect on our tailgate spread. I love a good pineapple cake. Thank you for sharing.
Have fun at your concert!
Oooh, a squishy cake. My favorite kind! I didn’t realize that pineapple cakes were Southern. That’s so cool. I learn a lot from you, Averie! And the knife-twisting technique for the poke cake…gotta try that!
Figure may as well twist the knife around a little bit and give the glaze an extra opportunity to sink in easily :)