Pineapple Pound Cake
Featuring the bright tropical flavor of crushed pineapple, a slice of this Pineapple Pound Cake makes for an excellent brunch or dessert!
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Put a tropical spin on a classic dessert with a slice of this Pineapple Pound Cake! The sweet and tangy flavor of pineapple works really well in pound cake form. We enjoyed slices of this cake as a mid-morning snack with a cup of coffee. It would also work well as a dessert – just top with a dollop of whipped cream and you’re all set!
The pineapple flavor in this cake is mild, but it’s still enough to whisk you straight away to a tropical beach. It’s truly a fantastic dessert – and this cake is really not difficult to make at all. Instead of fresh pineapple, this cake uses a cup of canned crushed pineapple. Just drain off the excess pineapple juice and fold the crushed pineapple into the batter. Easy peasy!
Creaming Butter and Sugar
This recipe does bring up a good point – when making pound cakes, you want to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Ok, what does that mean? What exactly is “light and fluffy”? For starters, this step should take ~3-4 minutes in an electric mixer on medium speed. At first, the butter and sugar will combine but stay rather dense and clumped together. You gotta keep mixing!
As more air gets incorporated into the batter, the butter + sugar mixture will begin to stick to the sides of the bowl. That’s how you know you’re getting close. Keep mixing for another 30-45 seconds, and you should have a nice and fluffy mixture in the mixing bowl.
It’s important to use room temperature butter when making pound cakes. Cold butter will not trap air into the batter as well, and this will lead to pockets or lumps once the cake is baked. To get room temperature butter, just pull the sticks of butter out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before you make the cake. When you lightly press on the stick of butter with a finger, it should leave an indent. (I also go ahead and pull the eggs out and let them sit on the countertop with the butter.)
Pineapple Pound Cake
Back to the pound cake at hand. This Pineapple Pound Cake has a rich, buttery flavor that is complimented quite nicely by the pineapple. The pineapple flavor is mild, but noticeable. However, the crushed pineapple adds moistness and gives this cake a tender crumb that is quite fantastic! This is the type of dessert that can be served with a casual cup of tea or elevated into a dinner party dessert. Your choice! (If it’s me making the decision, then the answer is both.)
Variations
I personally love this pound cake just the way it is, but I have played with a few variations in the past:
- Coconut. For a more tropical vibe, add 1 tsp of coconut extract and ¾ cup of shredded coconut flakes. The coconut flakes will add a fun texture to the cake, too.
- Orange. For a Pineapple Orange Pound Cake, reduce the whipping cream to ¾ cup and add ½ cup of orange juice. You will need to bake the cake a few extra minutes to offset the additional liquid.
- Nuts. I love nuts in pound cakes, and I’ve made this cake in the past with ¾ cup of chopped pecans.
- Garnishes. I typically just dust this cake lightly with powdered sugar, but you could get fancy and sprinkle shredded, toasted coconut flakes or chopped nuts on top. Another option would be to mix ⅔ cup of powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of pineapple juice (from canned pineapple). This glaze could be drizzled over the cake once it has cooled.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover slices of pound cake should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Leftover pound cake can also be frozen. Before freezing, wrap the cake (or individual slices) tightly in plastic wrap and store it a freezer bag for up to 4 months. Let thaw at room temperature before serving.
If you’re looking for a fantastic dessert recipe, then put this pineapple bundt cake on the list. It’s always a favorite when I make it here, and I hope it becomes a favorite in your house, too. Happy Baking!
Did you bake this Pineapple Pound Cake recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Pineapple Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned crushed pineapple drained
- confectioner’s sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan (or generously spray with nonstick cooking spray); set pan aside.
- Using a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes on medium speed).
- Add eggs two at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Using a separate large mixing bowl, combine the baking powder, salt and flour. Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl; mix until well combined.
- Add heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract; mix until well combined.
- Add remaining flour mixture; mix until well combined.
- Scrape sides and bottom of bowl to ensure batter is well combined.
- Fold in the crushed pineapple.
- Transfer cake batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 90-95 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean.
- Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before slicing.
- {Optional} Dust top of cake with powdered sugar before serving.
Looking for more pound cake recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
I need to try this soon for me BTW cant wait to make your recipes soon for me
I hope you enjoy this pineapple cake, Ramya!
Wow, that looks sooo moist and delicious, David. And those tropical flavors I know would be a big hit in my house. I want to give this a try once the new wall ovens are installed…
A good pound cake sounds like an excellent way to break in the new wall ovens! (Break in…not break. Haha.) Thanks, Frank!
Such a lovely and inviting bake, David! I love that tropical pineapple touch – sounds so moist and perfectly balanced.
The hint of tropical flavor in this pound cake is perfect for this time of the year. Thanks, Ben!
Such beautiful texture on this pound cake! Love the tropical flavor here!
Thanks so much, Michelle! This pound cake turned out quite well…and easy, too!
this looks moist and delicious David (just like Frank said – hehehe). I was just thinking some coconut would go down well in this cake. You could use some coconut cream instead of heavy cream too…
cheers
sherry
Ooo…I like where you are going with that idea, Sherry! And a bit of toasted coconut on top would be pretty fantastic I think. I shall try that next time I bake this cake!
Love that canned pineapple was used in this tropical delight – also thanks for the tip on how long to beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
Creaming that butter and sugar together is one of the keys to making a good pound cake! And let me tell ya – this one with its subtle citrus flavor was mighty tasty. Thanks, Shashi!
I live in the tropics so I love baking with pineapple flavours. Coconut is also the perfect pairing, but I would be happy with it just like this. I’m saving this one for Summer David, it will be perfect.
I really like this idea of incorporating coconut flavor into this pineapple pound cake! You should definitely give that a try when the weather turns nice again. Thanks, Pauline! 🙂
Wjat a lovely pound cake! I have never tried pineapple cake before but if it is whisking me away to a tropical beach, I will take it to enjoy with my cup of tea! Enjoy the end of your week, ~Nessa
Thank you so much, Nessa! The hint of tropical flavor in this pound cake is quite delicious. Have a great weekend, my friend!
Your pineapple bread is so crazy good and I love how quickly it comes together. It’s hard to beat preparing a heavenly dessert with just 15 minutes of prep! What really stands out is your simple trick for creaming the butter and sugar. This truly make the consistency of the finished bread absolutely perfect!
This dessert is so easy to make, Heidi! And the canned pineapple adds a mild citrus flavor that is quite tasty. I suspect we’ll be making this one again soon!
This feels like the kind of cake you slice into for a mid‑morning coffee and then somehow half of it disappears before lunch 🤣🤣🤣
Haha – I totally know what you mean, Raymund. “Just one more tiny slice…” “Ok, maybe just one more…”