Tropical Pumpkin Pineapple Cake

Experience the ultimate fall dessert with this incredibly moist and flavorful Pumpkin Pineapple Cake. A true masterpiece of autumn baking, it promises to be a marvelous and memorable addition to any seasonal gathering, captivating taste buds with its unique blend of comforting spices and bright, tropical sweetness.

The Ultimate Fall Dessert: Perfect for Thanksgiving and Beyond

As the leaves begin to turn and the air grows crisp, our thoughts naturally drift to the comforting flavors of autumn. While pumpkin takes center stage, imagine enhancing its rich, earthy notes with a surprising burst of tropical brightness. This Pumpkin Pineapple Cake is designed to do just that, offering a delightful twist on traditional fall treats. It’s not just a cake; it’s a celebration of seasonal comfort infused with an unexpected zest that will elevate your dessert table at Thanksgiving, harvest festivals, or any cozy fall gathering.

The magic truly happens when the warm, inviting essence of pure pumpkin and classic pumpkin spice harmoniously intertwines with the sweet, tangy juiciness of crushed pineapple. This ingenious combination doesn’t just create an unforgettable flavor profile; it also unlocks the secret to a cake that is extraordinarily moist, tender, and bursting with vibrant taste. Each bite is a testament to the perfect marriage of two distinct flavor worlds, resulting in a dessert that is both familiar and excitingly new.

Unlocking Unrivaled Moisture: The Secret to a Tender & Fluffy Cake

When the holiday season approaches, my kitchen transforms into a pumpkin-baking haven. From Pumpkin Carrot Cake to Pumpkin Sheet Cake and the ever-so-comforting Pumpkin Pound Cake, I adore exploring the versatility of this iconic fall ingredient. However, among all these delightful creations, I confidently declare this Pumpkin Pineapple Cake as the true pinnacle of autumn baking. Its exquisite texture and complex flavor stand out, making it a recipe you’ll revisit year after year.

The unparalleled moisture and tenderness of this easy, fall-flavored cake are attributed to one brilliant ingredient: a 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple, including all its natural juices! This isn’t just about adding flavor; the pineapple’s acidity interacts beautifully with the baking soda, creating a lighter, fluffier crumb. The juice also infuses every fiber of the cake with moisture, ensuring it remains incredibly succulent long after it’s baked. To create this marvel, you simply mix all your dry ingredients, then fold in a can of pure pumpkin puree and that magical can of crushed pineapple, juice and all. Watch as the fluffy batter transforms in the oven, yielding a consistently tender, moist, and flavorful cake.

While your cake layers cool to perfection, it’s the ideal time to whip up the creamy, dreamy buttercream frosting. This luscious topping, with its balanced sweetness and delightful tang, perfectly complements the spiced pumpkin and bright pineapple flavors. To achieve a truly show-stopping presentation, we’ll transform the two baked cake layers into a magnificent four-layered cake. Simply slice each cooled cake horizontally to create four thinner layers, then spread a generous layer of frosting between each, building a tall, impressive dessert that looks as incredible as it tastes.

Voilà! You’ve created a masterpiece: a moist Pumpkin Pineapple Cake, elegantly layered with rich buttercream frosting and crowned with a delightful scattering of candied pecans. This impressive dessert is guaranteed to elicit “oohs” and “aahs” from your guests and bring a joyous “Oh my yum!” to every bite during this holiday season. Its visual appeal is matched only by its incredible flavor, making it a centerpiece everyone will remember.

Adding this unique Pumpkin Pineapple Cake to your fall dessert table is a decision you won’t regret. The harmonious blend of warm spices, earthy pumpkin, and bright pineapple creates a taste sensation that appeals to all palates. Your family and friends will undoubtedly be thankful for such a thoughtful and delicious creation, making it a new favorite holiday tradition.

Essential Ingredients and Supplies for Your Baking Success

Crafting this exquisite Pumpkin Pineapple Cake requires a thoughtful selection of both pantry staples and specialized baking tools. Understanding the role each ingredient plays is key to achieving the perfect texture and flavor. For precise measurements and detailed instructions, always refer to the full recipe card located at the bottom of this post. To deepen your understanding of how various components contribute to baking magic, you can explore my comprehensive Complete Guide to Baking Ingredients.

Key Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour: The foundational ingredient, flour provides the essential structure and body for the cake. Proper measurement is crucial for a tender crumb.
• Brown sugar: Beyond sweetness, brown sugar contributes significant moisture and a rich, subtle molasses flavor that beautifully complements and deepens the pumpkin spice notes.
• Granulated sugar: This classic sweetener provides pure sweetness and helps create a balanced texture, preventing the cake from becoming too dense due to the moisture-heavy pumpkin and pineapple.
• Pumpkin pie spice: A convenient blend of warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. It’s the heart of the cake’s fall flavor. You can easily craft your own bespoke blend with my homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe for an even fresher aroma.
• Baking powder: As a primary leavening agent, baking powder helps the cake rise, contributing to its fluffy and light texture.
• Baking soda: Another critical leavening agent, baking soda reacts with the acidic components in the pineapple and brown sugar to produce carbon dioxide, ensuring a tender rise and open crumb structure.
• Kosher salt: A pinch of salt is vital for balancing the sweetness of the sugars and enhancing all the other flavors. Remember that Kosher salt has larger crystals than table salt, so adjust quantities if substituting.
• Large eggs: Eggs serve multiple roles: they bind ingredients, add richness, and contribute to the cake’s structure and lift during baking.
• Pure vanilla extract: Vanilla is a flavor enhancer, rounding out the sweetness and complexity of the cake. For an intriguing twist, consider using coconut extract if you’re feeling adventurous.
• Canned pure pumpkin: This star ingredient tenderizes the cake, adds essential moisture, provides body, and infuses it with its characteristic earthy-sweet flavor and beautiful orange hue.
• Canned crushed pineapple (including juice): This is our secret weapon! It ensures the cake is exceptionally moist, imparts a bright and tangy contrast to the dense pumpkin, and its natural acids activate the baking soda for perfect lift. Do not drain the juice!
• Cream cheese (softened): The foundation of our dreamy frosting, cream cheese adds a delightful tang and luxurious creaminess that expertly balances the sweetness of the cake. Ensure it’s softened to avoid lumps.
• Unsalted butter: Butter adds richness and smoothness to the frosting and helps it set beautifully when chilled. Use unsalted to control the overall saltiness.
• Powdered sugar: This fine sugar sweetens and thickens the frosting to a spreadable consistency. Always sift it before adding to prevent any unwanted lumps.
• Candied pecans (for garnishing): These provide a gorgeous visual finish and a delightful crunchy, nutty sweetness that elevates each slice to gourmet status.

Essential Baking Supplies:

• Two 8-inch round cake pans: For baking evenly sized cake layers.
• 8-inch parchment paper rounds: Prevents sticking and ensures easy release of your delicate cake layers.
• Nonstick cooking spray: Provides an extra layer of protection against sticking.
• Large mixing bowl: For combining your dry ingredients and then the main cake batter.
• Small mixing bowl: Ideal for lightly beating the eggs.
• Wire cooling racks: Essential for allowing cakes to cool completely and prevent condensation.
• Electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment: For effortlessly creating smooth, creamy frosting.
• Serrated cake knife: The perfect tool for neatly splitting cake layers horizontally.
• Cake stand or serving platter: For presenting your finished masterpiece with elegance.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Your Perfect Pumpkin Pineapple Cake

Creating this delicious Pumpkin Pineapple Cake is a straightforward process, designed for bakers of all skill levels. Follow these detailed steps to ensure a flawless cake, from mixing the batter to the final decorative touches.

• Prepare Your Pans & Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures the oven is at the correct temperature for even baking from the moment your batter enters. Line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds. This step is crucial for preventing sticking and ensuring your cakes release cleanly. Finish by lightly spraying the parchment and sides of the pans with non-stick cooking spray for extra insurance.
• Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the all-purpose flour, both brown sugar and granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisking dry ingredients together not only combines them but also aerates the flour, which contributes to a lighter cake texture, and ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed.
• Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a separate, smaller mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. This helps to break up the yolks and whites, making them easier to incorporate evenly into the batter and contributing to the cake’s uniform texture.

• Combine Wet and Dry: Create a shallow well in the center of your dry ingredients. Pour the lightly beaten eggs, vanilla extract, canned pure pumpkin, and the star ingredient—canned crushed pineapple (with all its juice!)—into this well. Gently stir everything together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter, as this can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to a tough cake. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
• Bake the Cake Layers: Divide the prepared batter evenly between your two lined and sprayed 8-inch cake pans. Place them in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of each cake; it should come out clean. If it comes out with wet batter, continue baking for a few more minutes and re-test.
• Cooling Process: Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in their pans for at least 15 minutes. This allows the cakes to firm up slightly, making them less fragile. After 15 minutes, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pans to loosen the cakes, then invert them onto wire racks to cool completely. Cooling completely is crucial before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.

• Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting: While the cakes cool, prepare your luscious cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened cream cheese, softened unsalted butter, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating after each addition until thoroughly combined and the frosting is smooth, creamy, and free of lumps. Sifting your powdered sugar before adding it can help achieve this silky consistency.
• Layering the Cake: Once the cake layers are completely cooled, use a serrated cake knife to carefully split each 8-inch layer horizontally, creating four thinner layers. This technique transforms a simple two-layer cake into an impressive four-layer masterpiece. Place your first cake layer on a cake stand or serving platter. Spread about a fourth of the prepared frosting evenly over this layer, extending it all the way to the edges. Repeat this process with the remaining cake layers and frosting, stacking them carefully to create an elegant tall cake.

• The Final Flourish: After frosting all layers, evenly spread any remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. For a truly elegant finish and an added layer of texture and flavor, line the top of the cake with candied pecans, if desired. These crunchy, sweet nuts provide a beautiful contrast to the smooth frosting. Serve your magnificent Pumpkin Pineapple Cake immediately and prepare for compliments!

Storage Solutions for Your Pumpkin Pineapple Cake

Proper storage is essential to preserve the freshness, moisture, and delicious flavor of your Pumpkin Pineapple Cake. Because of its cream cheese frosting, refrigeration is key to keeping it at its best.

To store a frosted cake, cover it loosely with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out or absorbing refrigerator odors. It will stay fresh and delightful in the refrigerator for up to three days. For optimal flavor and frosting texture, always remember to bring individual slices to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving. This allows the frosting to soften slightly and all the intricate flavors to truly shine through.

If you prefer to bake ahead or want to enjoy your cake at a later date, the cake layers can be frozen without frosting. Once the baked layers are completely cooled, wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap, then again in a layer of aluminum foil. This double wrapping technique helps prevent freezer burn. You can freeze the layers for up to three months. When you’re ready to assemble and serve, simply thaw the wrapped cake layers overnight in the refrigerator, then proceed with frosting fresh before your gathering.

For freezing frosted cake slices, which is perfect for enjoying a single serving whenever a craving strikes, place the individual frosted cake slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flash freeze them until they are firm, typically about 1 hour. Once firm, wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap, and then in foil, to protect them. They can be frozen for up to three months. To enjoy, thaw the slices overnight in the refrigerator, ensuring they are loosely covered. This loose covering allows any condensation to dissipate without compromising the texture or appearance of your beautiful frosting.

If you embark on the delightful journey of making my Pumpkin Pineapple Cake, I would absolutely love to see your creations! Be sure to snap a beautiful picture and share it with me on Instagram @thebakermama. Your photos inspire me! And if you’re a Facebook user, I invite you to join my exclusive Friends of The BakerMama group. It’s a wonderful community where you can connect with fellow baking enthusiasts, share your culinary adventures, and discover even more fun and yummy recipes from my collection. I truly cherish seeing how inspired and creative you all become with the ideas I share. Enjoy every moment of baking and savoring!

xoxo,

Pumpkin Pineapple Cake Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
4.5 from 2 reviews

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  Author: Maegan – The BakerMama
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  Prep Time: 20 mins
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  Cook Time: 30 mins
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  Total Time: 50 mins
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  Yield: 12-14 Servings
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  Cuisine: American, Dessert

Print Recipe

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Description

This Pumpkin Pineapple Cake is a fall sensation, combining the warm spice of pumpkin with the bright tang of pineapple for an incredibly moist and flavorful dessert. Topped with creamy cream cheese frosting and candied pecans, it’s perfect for Thanksgiving or any special autumn occasion.

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Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin puree
• 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained (juice included)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 18 candied pecans, for garnishing (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds and generously spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined and aerated.
3. In a small separate bowl, lightly beat the 3 eggs until just combined.
4. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the beaten eggs, vanilla extract, canned pure pumpkin, and the undrained crushed pineapple. Stir with a spoon or spatula until the ingredients are just combined and no dry streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
6. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for at least 15 minutes. Then, carefully run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen and invert them onto wire racks to cool completely to room temperature.
7. To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the softened cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until the frosting is light, fluffy, and well combined.
8. Once the cakes are completely cooled, use a serrated cake knife to carefully split each cake layer horizontally, creating four thin layers. Place one cake layer on your chosen cake stand or serving platter. Spread about a fourth of the frosting evenly over the layer, extending it to the edges. Repeat with the remaining cake layers and frosting, stacking them to form a four-layer cake.
9. Optionally, adorn the top of the cake with candied pecans for an extra crunch and beautiful presentation. Slice, serve, and enjoy your delicious Pumpkin Pineapple Cake!

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Notes

Store the frosted cake, loosely covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For best flavor and frosting texture, let slices come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.