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.
Hai Averie,
Can you change your measurements to gram? I’m sorry because I live in asia and I’m not used to with your measurements.
Can I used fresh pinnapple instead of the can one?
Thank you so much for your help!
I don’t use grams so cannot give measurements. However, there are online calculators that can do these conversions for you.
I haven’t tried with fresh pineapple because you need the juice, too, and that’s why it’s easier and more cost effective for me to use canned.
I used to enjoy Poke Cake with Pineapple Pineapple Glaze. This is a dish that my family and I love.
Thank you for the recipe. I actually made it today in a round pan. It took approximately 25 min. It is totally delicious. I was thinking of making it with toasted coconut sprinkled on the top, after icing the cake. Pineapple and coconut are great together! It’s an easy cake to make, and very moist as you said. I don’t think it would last long in the fridge, nor freezer!! Thank you again!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that the round pan worked fine!
Could you do it in a bundt pan?
Possibly. I haven’t tried it that way so can’t say for sure.
Thanks so much for your help. The cake was amazing! I’m glad I doubled the recipe so there was plenty to eat and a little left to send home with friends. (We got to keep a little bit too!) I’ll be making this again!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that you doubled it :)
Oh, I guess I didn’t think that sprinkles added much flavor to the cake but in all honesty the cake is perfect (flavor and presentation) as you have written it. I will save the vanilla paste for something else.
The Pineapple cake is good but the glaze was way too overwhelmingly sweet for me. I actually used some of the plain pineapple juice left over after making your glaze and mixed with very little powdered sugar to pour onto the cake and into the cut markes then topped it with about 1/4 cup of your glaze. So I still have the white semi-translucent glaze on top and more of the pineapple flavor in the cake. Now, I did eat about 1/4 of the cake (don’t judge) right away (SO GOOD) and I am afraid the rest will be too “wet” when I go back in tonight. I wonder if the measurements are correct for the glaze: 2 cups of powdered sugar and 3-4 Tbsp. of pineapple juice? It made A LOT of glaze and it was extra super thick after adding 5 Tbsp of juice.
I also wanted to tell you that we named my daughter Avery. (2 years old) When I was thinking about the name when I was pregnant I googled it to see if there were any serial killers or scoundrels with the same name and luckily nothing noteworthy. I did come across your blog somehow and it may have “sealed the name” for me. I went with traditional spelling per hubbies request. Anyway. . . . I like your name. ;)
Yes the measurements are correct for the glaze, and a I wrote to add additional juice as necessary for consistency. If your glaze was too thick for your liking and/or too sweet, a splash of water will thin it out without adding sweetness. Very easy fix. And no I don’t believe the cake will be ‘too wet’ later…that’s the point of a poke cake; it soaks it up!
I also wrote in a few places that this is a very sweet cake! But it couldn’t have been too bad if you ate a 1/4 of the cake yourself, immediately :)
I needed that last comment here with more directions on the glaze. I just pulled my cake out of the oven and usually poke cakes get “poked” right away while still warm, I think. So I am letting this one cool and then poke and glaze. Thanks.
PS. I made your Funfetti cake last night and my family went crazy for it. (5 year old wants it for his Birthday cake) I am not a sprinkle girl but I took it easy on them (still looked sprinkley) and it was delicious. I am waiting for some Nielsen Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste to come in from Amazon today and gonna try the sprinkle cake again using it instead of the extract and see if there is a huge difference. I just came across the stuff a couple days ago and ordered it up right away to try. Have you ever tried it? Now that I think of it, Maybe I saw it on your website?!
Glad the Funfetti cake was a hit!
Vanilla bean paste is definitely more intense than regular vanilla. I don’t know if a Funfetti cake with all the sprinkles though would be the best place to use it. I mean you can’t go wrong, but in terms of saving some $ since the stuff is expensive, I’d use it in something with less ‘going on’ like a plainer cake, muffins, etc rather than the Funfetti but that’s just me.
You can put this glaze on when the cake is still warm for the Pineapple Poke Cake. That’s what I did. I mean I waited maybe 5 minutes, it’s not like I was timing myself but I didn’t intentionally wait any longer than it took me to make the glaze, maybe 3-4 minutes. Enjoy!
I’m making the cake now. It smells delicious. I lined the pan with foil like you said. Is this to help dump it out on a cooling rack? But in the directions it sounds like you glaze the cake while still in the pan. Can you give a few more details after the cake comes out of the oven about how you cool it – leave in pan or not. I’ve never made a cake with foil in the pan so I’m a little confused. Thanks for any tips. Can’t wait to try this!
I let it cool in the pan, poke the holes, pour the glaze over, and then when you’re ready to serve it, you just pull the entire (5 pound cake from the weight of the glaze!) up and out of the pan by the foil! So easy AND cleanup is literally tossing the piece of foil. Saves on dishes and effort! Enjoy!
And once you start lining your cake pans or bar pans in foil, you will be hooked! Impossible to get cosmetically perfect clean cuts and pieces when it’s all still inside the pan, whereas if it’s all on a cutting board on the foil that you lifted out with ease, you can make it look so much prettier (and save on cleanup!)
Great minds think alike! I just made a pineapple pie this week! Pineapple is great for the summer!
yum! This sounds like the kind of recipe that is tastes even better when you have it first thing in the morning! (pineapple is healthy, right?)
This cake sounds so juicy and absolutely ridiculous. I need a slice (or three) in my life ASAP!
I need those brownie bite things you posted and I pinned! I was trying to comment but my current internet connection traveling is a little wonky but they looked PERFECT!
So true!!
Oh my goodness! I’ve made a few poke cakes before but never one with pineapple and this looks so scrumptious! I too am only interested in moist cakes – what’s the point of a dry cake? That’s easy, there is no point to a dry cake! Can’t wait to make this for my office!
Dry cake calories are the worst kind of wasted calories ever!! :)
This cake looks unreal!!!
This cake looks so moist and flavorful and I want to eat the whole thing for breakfast!
I can tell just how moist this cake is! It looks heavenly. You can’t go wrong with a simple one bowl poke cake, especially during the hotter summer months.