Pineapple Sheet Cake brings together simple ingredients with a dump and stir prep to create this tropical treat! It’s a winner among cake recipes! I love sheet cake recipes for their no-fuss prep. Of all my fruit cake recipes, this is one I go to again and again!
Pineapple isn’t necessarily the most common ingredient in cake, but it shouldn’t be overlooked! For other cakes starring this tropical superstar, check out pina colada sheet cake, pineapple sunshine cake and pineapple upside down cake!
Fire up the oven and let’s get baking!
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What I Love About This Recipe
This cake is a moist, pineapple-studded cake drenched in a sweet, creamy coconut icing, with crispy toasted pecans on top. You’ll be dreaming of beach vacations and tropical cocktails after just one bite!
- The tropical flavors
- Moist tender cake
- Tangy, sweet pineapple, chewy coconut in a creamy icing
- A sweet, textural masterpiece that I actually love to make it all year long
How To Make Pineapple Sheet Cake Recipe
Begin by combining all the cake ingredients in a bowl and mixing until smooth. Spread the batter into a prepared pan and bake.
While the cake is cooking, assemble the icing ingredients except for the coconut in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut.
Pour the icing over the hot cake and sprinkle toasted pecans over the top. Allow the cake to cool and the icing to set before serving.
Recipe Notes
This cake is super simple, but here are a few extra tips!
Toasting the nuts- Be sure you take a minute to toast the pecans. It brings out their flavor and adds a bit of crunch. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and put them in a 350-degree oven for 5-10 minutes, or they smell yummy.
Pan size- For this recipe, however, I use a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking sheet. If you don’t happen to have this size baking pan, do what my Mom does and bake it in a 9” x 13” pan. Cook until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Not all of us have sheet cake pans, first of all, but smaller pans mean thicker cake slices, and I think we can all agree that’s a good thing! It’ll just take a little longer to bake (~ 10 minutes)
Icing – The real magic that makes this cake such a rich treat is pouring the icing over the cake while they’re both still nice and warm. The cake will still be steaming and porous which makes for a perfect sponge to soak up the icing.
- Just make sure you wait to add the toasted pecans on top, rather than stirring them in with the coconut, so they’ll keep more of their crispy texture.
Ingredient Notes
Coconut– Sweetened coconut is better than unsweetened coconut flakes. You’ll lose the chewy texture with the unsweetened variety. If you’re concerned about the sweetness level, adjust the sugar in the icing to your tastes.
Storing Tips
To preserve its moisture content, be sure to store this cake in a well-sealed container in a cool place.
Can You Freeze This?
This cake freezes really well. Just be sure to follow good freezing techniques and wrap it tightly.
Defrost overnight in the fridge before serving! I would also hold off on the nuts until serving. They’ll be crunchier and have a fresh roasted taste if they skip the trip through the deep freeze.
Make Ahead Tips
This recipe holds well for a couple of days, so you can make it ahead of time.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
Food handling guidelines suggest that cake holds for 7 days in the fridge, but I think the moisture in this cake would limit it to 3-4 days for optimal texture!
Serving Recommendation
You gotta enjoy this cake with creamsicle drink or planter’s punch!
Pineapple Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple undrained
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Icing:
- 1 cups sugar
- 1/2 cups butter cubed
- 2/3 cups canned evaporated milk
- Pinch salt
- 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cups toasted pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 Degrees. Spray a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together all cake ingredients until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven 20-24 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted int the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, make the icing. In a saucepan combine the sugar, butter, salt, and evaporated milk. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut.
- Pour the icing over hot cake. Sprinkle the top with pecans. Allow icing to set and cool before cutting.
Fans Also Made:
Nutrition
More Fruit Cake Recipes
Be sure to check out these fantastic Fruit Cake recipes!
- Caramel Apple Sheet Cake
- Lemon Buttermilk Cake
- Coconut Sheet Cake
- Strawberry Jello Cake
- Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pineapple Pound Cake
- Pineapple Dump Cake
Conclusion
Pineapple Sheet Cake is one of those recipes that you can’t make wrong. It turns out perfectly every time. I’ve never served it without people saying “Wow!” I know you’re gonna love it. Be sure to leave a comment below!
Source: Spicy Southern Kitchen published on CentslessMeals
I cut all sugars in half and it is still plenty sweet. Remember you have the crushed pineapple in juice and sugar in the coconut in the icing plus the sugar you add to both the cake and icing. My cousin gave me the exact recipe more than 40 years ago and she called it Texas Sheet cake. (She was from Texas). I cut the sugar in half myself.
Could this cake be made with a cake mix? Could I substitute sweetened condensed milk for evaporated milk in the icing?
Hi, Willa. I haven’t tried making this with cake mix and sweet condensed for evaporated milk.
I’d recommend these cakes that use cake mix:
1. Pineapple Sunshine Cake
2. Pig Pickin Cake
For more cake mix recipes, check it out here.
OOPS !
I made a mistake in my comment. I meant to say…… drizzle chocolate on top of the frosting.
Sounds like a great idea Millie!
I love this cake but my husband hates coconut. Whatdo you think about a coconut drizzle on top of the icing?
Sounds absolutely delicious. The only problem I am having about making this is, I HATE COCONUT. Is there something I can use instead of coconut, or can I just omit it completely, without ruining the topping?
Hi, Gayle. I haven’t tried the icing without coconut. Not sure, but I think it’ll still work without. Let us now how it turns out!
IT’S VERY TASTY. THE ONLY THING IS I USED FRESH PINEAPPLE PUT IN THE FOOD PROCESSOR. I THINK IT MADE MY CAKE TOO MOIST. THE CAKE BATTER SET BUT IT IS MORE LIKE A DUMP CAKE.
Hi Rachel. It still sounds delish, though!
I love everything about this sheet cake
Thank you, Primrose!❤️
Hi Patty! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I generally use the crushed pineapple in juice, but if you check out my pictures, you can see my edges are caramalized too. That’s my hubbys favorite part. Baking this in a 9X13 inch baking dish should take 30-35 minutes. The fact that it sunk in the center makes me think it was underbaked. Seems really strange fir it to be underbaked with an overall bake time of 50 minutes! I wonder if somehow the heavy syrup from the pineapple changed the overall chemistry of the cake. Honestly, this one perplexes me! Sorry. This recipe is a tried and true favorite <3
My cousin gave me this exact recipe 45 years ago but they called it Texas Cake! I’m referring to the pineapple sheet cake. I have cut the white sugar in half because the canned pineapple is sweet and so is the sweetened coconut. I find it plenty sweet and everyone likes it.
Way to go, Jaroslaw! 😀 Glad to hear you liked it!