Deliciously moist and dense pineapple pound cake is dressed with a sweet pineapple vanilla glaze. This supple pineapple cake has the perfect crumb and is great for breakfast, dessert, or as a snack.
Why this recipe works
This pineapple pound cake is elevated with sweet tropical flavor, just enough to complement the richly dense pound cake base. The texture of a good pound cake should be dense, moist, soft and tender – and that’s exactly what you’ll get with this recipe! Top with a delicate pineapple-vanilla glaze to take it even further.
Pound cakes are often made in bundt pans, after all, almost any kind of cake can be made in a bundt pan. Baking this pineapple quick bread in a bundt pan will yield an overall prettier presentation compared to a basic loaf. Let’s get started!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
PINEAPPLE – Drain the crushed pineapple before adding it to the cake batter, but it’s not necessary to really strain it; some of the juices can be added in. Reserve the drained pineapple juice to use in the glaze.
SHORTENING – Shortening has a higher melting point than butter, which provides and fluffier and moister cake. You can substitute a third stick of butter for the shortening if you wish.
EGGS – Be sure the eggs are a room temperature and that you beat them well when adding to the batter – this is going to give you more volume in your bundt cake. Room temperature eggs hold more volume than cold eggs.
How to Make Pineapple Pound Cake
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9-inch bundt cake pan with nonstick baking spray (the kind with flour) and set aside.
EXPERT TIP – I recommend a nonstick cooking spray with flour rather than greasing and flouring the bundt pan, but you can grease it well with butter or shortening and then lightly flour the pan. - In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour and the baking powder. Set aside.
EXPERT TIP – Be sure to measure your flour using the scoop and sweep method. You never want to pack flour into a measuring cup. If you add too much flour, you’ll end up with a dry, crumbly cake. - Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer or large mixing bowl.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating on high speed for 30 seconds after each addition.
EXPERT TIP – Be sure the eggs are a room temperature and that you beat them well when adding to the batter – this is going to give you more volume in your bundt cake. Room temperature eggs hold more volume than cold eggs.
- Rotate between adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, mixing only a little between each addition.
- Add in the pineapple and vanilla extract and beat just until the pineapple is evenly distributed.
- Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 75-85 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
EXPERT TIP – Because this cake is so dense and moist, it takes at least 75 minutes to cook. Test the center with a toothpick to make sure there is not still wet batter before removing from the oven.
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over the top of the cooled cake.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store your pineapple pound cake in an airtight container on the countertop for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Yes, you can freeze this pound cake for up to 3 months. If you plan on freezing, do not add the glaze, reserve that for when you are ready to serve. Wrap the fully cooled cake in plastic wrap or Press N Seal, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Place the wrapped cake in a large air-tight container or in an extra large zip top bag before placing in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature without unwrapping, or in the refrigerator overnight.
Serving Suggestions
I highly recommend topping your pineapple pound cake with our pineapple glaze as it adds just the right amount of sticky sweetness, though if you prefer, it will still taste good without it. Serve sliced at room temperature as a snack, dessert, or breakfast alongside a cup of coffee or tea. Enjoy!
More Quick Bread Recipes
- Banana Nut Bread
- Blueberry Bundt Cake
- Pound Cake Cupcakes
- Whipping Cream Pound Cake
- Orange Poppyseed Pound Cake
- Strawberry Pound Cake
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Pineapple Pound Cake
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup shortening
- 2 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs at room temperature*
- ½ cup buttermilk at room temperature*
- 1 cup crushed pineapple 1 – 8 ounce can drained, juices reserved
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup reserved pineapple juice
Things You’ll Need
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Before You Begin
- Be sure to measure your flour using the scoop and sweep method. You never want to pack flour into a measuring cup. If you add too much flour, you’ll end up with a dry, crumbly cake.
- The moisture comes from the buttermilk and the pineapple. Drain the pineapple before adding it to the cake batter, but it’s not necessary to really strain it; some of the juices can be added in. Because this cake is so dense and moist, it takes at least 75 minutes to cook. Test the center with a toothpick to make sure there is not still wet batter before removing from the oven.
- Shortening has a higher melting point than butter, which provides and fluffier and moister cake. You can substitute a third stick of butter for the shortening if you wish.
- Be sure the eggs and buttermilk are a room temperature and that you beat them well when adding to the batter – this is going to give you more volume in your bundt cake. Room temperature eggs hold more volume than cold eggs.
- I recommend a nonstick cooking spray with flour rather than greasing and flouring the bundt pan, but you can grease it well with butter or shortening and then lightly flour the pan.
- For removing the cake from the pan: Uneven baking temperatures in ovens can cause the cake to rise on one side more. If your cake is uneven, you can cut a thin layer off the bottom of the cake so it sits properly when turned out of the bundt pan. Uneven distribution of weight can cause pressure points which in turn can cause crumbling on the bottom in the areas that aren’t supported by an equal weight of cake.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9-inch bundt cake pan with nonstick baking spray (the kind with flour) and set aside.*We recommend a nonstick cooking spray with flour rather than greasing and flouring the bundt pan, but you can grease it well with butter or shortening and then lightly flour the pan.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour and the baking powder. Set aside.
- Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer or large mixing bowl.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating on high speed for 30 seconds after each addition.Do not overbeat the eggs, this can cause the cake to be crumbly.
- Rotate between adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, mixing only a little between each addition.
- Add in the pineapple and vanilla extract and beat just until the pineapple is evenly distributed.
- Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 75-85 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over the top of the cooled cake.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Cas says
Could you use fresh pineapple?
Amanda Davis says
Yes you should be able to
Everline logan says
I made this cake before and mine didn’t fall apart very delicious cake 😋
Kim M. says
This sounds like an amazing recipe that I am excited to make. Can you tell me if this recipe can be used to make cupcakes? If so, can you please tell me how long they should bake for? Thank you in advance for your time. 🙏🏼
Amanda Formaro says
We have not tested that with this recipe. However, we would suggest using the same temperature and reducing the baking time to 20 minutes then check. You may need more than that – do a toothpick test to check.
Denyse K Kelly says
I made this cake exactly as directed and it turned out to be fabulous 👌
kendall says
I do not want to use shortening… But I am confused then on the total butter that would be used….
Amanda Formaro says
Shortening has a higher melting point than butter, which provides and fluffier and moister cake. You can substitute a third stick of butter for the shortening if you wish.
Wisegal says
SO GOOD! Found this cake recipe while searching for a recipe to bake while on vacation in Hawaii (pineapple, get it?). Had to improvise on a few ingredients while staying at a rental. I used salted butter and it overcame the flatness that others alluded to by not having any salt in the recipe, especially one with so much sugar. Used the milk + vinegar buttermilk substitute trick. I wanted the moistness that you get from shortening, so instead of a third stick of butter (1/2 cup), subbed 1/4 cup butter + 1/4 cup vegetable oil for 1/2 cup shortening. 2 3/4 cups sugar seemed like a lot (I know sugar also provides structure in addition to sweetness), so I cut back sugar to 2 1/4 cups. Baked in two loaf pans at 300 degrees in a convection oven for almost 90 minutes. You just have to watch the time and cake for doneness especially when using an unfamiliar oven. No powdered sugar so just used butter, sugar, pineapple juice, remaining pineapple (from a larger can I bought) and made a syrup that I poured over the inverted still slightly warm cake. The thicker,slightly crunchy top crust was now preserved on the bottom. All to say, you gotta work with what you got. I know that’s also easier depending on your baking experience. Even with these (albeit minor) substitutions, the cake came out great! It was so moist, yet still firm and dense. The flavor was amazing, sweet, but not too sweet for our taste, and the extra pineapple I put in the glaze really brought it over the top. Everyone loved it and it was gone in a flash. This is definitely a keeper. I may try the recipe as written next time just to compare, but why mess with a good thing? :) I know this was a long comment, but I wanted to get all of my thoughts out about this fabulous cake. Thank you Amanda for this winner!
Sharon Joseph says
I made this cake. I followed the exact recipe. It came out perfect. I always let my cakes stay in the pan for 15 minutes after cooking to cool down .
I also added the glaze.
My family loved it. I will be making this cake again. I have also shared this recipe with my friends.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Sharon Joseph
Carolyn says
Just flipped my cooled cake onto my serving plate and it looks delicious. I’m not going to cut it until tomorrow, but if it tastes good as it looks, then it is a winner. I followed the recipe exactly. I let it cook for exactly 75 minutes as the recipe called for. Can’t wait to cut into it tomorrow and taste it. I will come back with another comment.
Mel says
My cake came out exactly as described. My friends and I loved it. I did half the recipe in a loaf pan. and added walnuts to my glaze. Thank you!
Jodie says
Can this recipe be used with other fruits?
Amanda Formaro says
We have not tested this recipe with other fruits. I would imagine other canned fruits would probably work. If you decide to experiment, we would love to hear your results!
Wanda f Mathis says
If I use this recipe for cupcakes how long should I cook them?
Elaine Leong says
If I use a normal square or rectangle cake pan, what pan size should I use for this pineapple Pound cake?
Amanda Formaro says
We have not tested this in anything other than a bundt pan, however here’s an article on converting from one pan size to another https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/cake-pan-sizes/ Hope that helps!
Brenda Oakley says
Well I made exactly like recipe. It totally did not look like the picture and just fell totally apart. Hmmmmmmmm
Amanda Formaro says
Did you allow the cake to cool before trying to cut it? What do you mean it totally fell apart? Did you spray the pan first? Did you drain the pineapple?
Cynthia Appleman says
Mine fell apart too. The cooking spray instead of butter/ flour was not a good idea. I did let it cool in pan 10 min, issue was when removing from Bundt pan. Top fell off/ stuck when changing to wire rack. Flavor good though.
Darlene R Coltrane says
Nice cake I usually don’t cut a lb cake until a couple days later & they do freeze well This recipe was great My Mother’s Lemon lb cake was to die for She was a pro on lb cakes She is in heaven looking down on me when I’m baking any kind of lb cake Thank you
Carol Hoover says
Can I use a cake mix then add the crushed pineapple ?
Amanda Formaro says
We have not tested this recipe with a cake mix. However, this is a pound cake, which i denser than regular cake, so a regular cake mix wouldn’t yield the same results. However, Betty Crocker does make a boxed pound cake, so you could probably try that. Again, we haven’t tried this but if you happen to test it, we would love to hear your results!
Clare Bradley says
I always add at least a teaspoon of salt to create a balance, salt is nessesary when ever sugar is involved. Also, butter crisco can be substituted for at least half the butter, I do it all the time in cookies and cakes. Correct measuring makes all the difference as well, I am also cutting back on the fats because its not going to change it much by cutting out one quarter of the butter or crisco. good recipe but I always change things up and always come out with perfect results. I guess I like having a starting point to create my own goodies lol.
SJ says
Hello,
Did you use unsweetened crushed pineapples?
Thank you!
Amanda Formaro says
We use crushed pineapple in juice. I don’t believe that the can states sweetened or unsweetened. The cans of pineapple in syrup may be sweetened, but we use the ones in juice.
Shana says
I just made the batter and have this cake in the oven now. I’m concerned that there is no salt and the batter has a very flat but sweet flavor. Any guidance on the lack of salt and the if the sugar can be reduced?
Lydia says
I just took this cake out of the oven. I am waiting for it to finish cooling so I can glaze it. It smells delicious. I can’t wait to taste it. I already know it is a keeper. Thanks for sharing. I used cake flour.
Sonia I Maldonado says
What kind or shortening do you use or recommend?
Amanda Formaro says
I always use Crisco
Hope Fuller says
Can cake flour be use in this pineapple pound cake recipe
Amanda Formaro says
To substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour
Kendall M says
Hi can I substitute Lard for shortening in this cake recipe? Thanks
Amanda Formaro says
I have not tested that, but theoretically it should work fine.