If a sweet moist delicious pop of fruit brightens your day, then this pineapple sunshine cake is for you! Fruit cake recipes with pineapple are typically yellow cake recipes and this one is no different. It’s one of those easy sheet cake recipes with a tasty twist and let me tell you – it is gonna’ be one of your favorite cake recipes!
This pineapple sheet cakerecipe is super moist and refreshing and it has so many possibilities. Swap out a few simple ingredients to make a pina colada sheet cake or a decadent pineapple upside down cake. I mean, it just doesn’t get much better than this!
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Why It’s Great!
Recipe Notes
Recipe Variations
Similar Recipes
What I Love About This Recipe
- A sweet, moist and delicious pop of fruit loaded flavor
- One of the easiest cakes you’ll ever make
- This cake is a cinch to make!
Pineapple Sunshine Cake Video Tutorial
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How To Make Pineapple Sunshine Cake Recipe
Serving up this light and fluffy cake is so simple. Just blend up the cake batter with an electric mixer and toss it in the oven. Then, mix up the icing while the cake is cooling. Garnish with decorative fruit after icing and enjoy. Voila!
Pineapple Cake Recipe Notes
Cake Mix – When making this yummy pineapple cake, forget about the directions on the box. The cake mix is for flavor and convenience, but we can just forget they printed those there. We’re going to be blending the cake ingredients together all at once. It’s a bit unusual but super simple and full of flavor!
Pineapple in the cake – Remember to leave the only one can of the pineapple AS IS when adding to the cake batter. You want to make sure the juice is mixed in. It adds a substantial amount of flavor. You’ll fold in another can of drained pineapple after, once your batter has been fully mixed, but before pouring into the pan.
Pineapple in the frosting – When you mix up your frosting, DRAIN the pineapple tidbits very well. This will save your end result from becoming runny. Any garnishes, I suggest pineapple and maraschino cherries, should be drained well too!
Storing Tips
Your super sweet refreshing cake will need to be refrigerated. Even if you’re using a cake pan with a top, you’ll want to cover your cake with cling wrap to prevent drying. It’ll also help prevent your cake from absorbing other fridge odors.
Can You Freeze This?
That’s affirmative! You can toss your pineapple cake in the freezer without the icing. Just be sure it cools completely first. Slow thaw it in the fridge overnight and whip up a batch of icing before serving time. Easy Peasy!
Make Ahead Tips
This insanely delicious cake gets better over time. I know, hard to believe! If you’re making ahead, simply let it cool and then wrap to prepare for storage. Freeze or refrigerate as needed and whip up the icing when the time comes.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
Your cake is picnic-ready and potluck approved. It’ll stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days but this full-flavored moist and tasty treat is likely to disappear long before then. Don’t be surprised if you find an empty dish where your cake used to be!
Tools to Make
Whipping up this sweet sunshiney pineapple cake only takes about 15 minutes of prep time. It’s just a simple summer FAV that doesn’t take a bunch of crazy utensils, but it does really help to have an electric mixer on hand.
Recipe Variations
There are so many scrumptious variations of this sunshine cake you won’t know what to do with yourself! Here are a few delicious options.
- Turn it into a carrot cake with pineapple for a sweet-n-healthy variation.
- Grab your wooden spoon and turn this tasty treat into an irresistible pineapple poke cake.
- Swapping a few simple ingredients will give you an addictingly delicious pineapple angel food cake.
- Pig pickin cake – this is very similar to this recipe, the topping is the same, the only difference is that it uses mandarin orange.
More Fruit Cake Recipes
Here are some other awesome recipes you may enjoy. I love, love, love this pineapple sunshine cake which makes it hard to pick a favorite from this list.
- Strawberry Sheet Cake
- Lemon Sheet Cake
- Banana Poke Cake
- Strawberry Poke Cake
- Coconut Poke Cake
Pineapple sunshine cake is a moist fruit-filled cake with a light-n-creamy topping that’s just bursting with yummy flavor you can’t help but love.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time55 mins
Servings: 12 people
Cake:
- ▢ 1 box yellow cake mix
- ▢ 2 cans (8-ounces) crushed pineapple, juice from 1 can reserve for use in the cake, the second drained and discarded
- ▢ 4 large eggs
- ▢ 1/4 cup sugar
- ▢ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting:
- ▢ 1 can (15-ounces can) crushed pineapple, juice well drained
- ▢ 1 pack (3.5-ounce) instant vanilla pudding mix
- ▢ 1 (16-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
Garnish:
- ▢ 2 cans (15-ounce can) pineapple tidbits drained
- ▢ maraschino cherries rinsed and drained
Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the cake mix, canned crushed pineapple with the juice of ONE can, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla and mix with a hand-held electric mixer for 2 minutes.
Pour the batter into prepared baking dish and bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Cool, the cake in the pan, set on a wire baking rack, until completely cooled.
Frosting:
In a medium bowl combine the well-drained crushed pineapple and the pudding mix until the pineapple is evenly coated with the mix. Let mixture sit for 2 minutes
Fold in the thawed whip topping until evenly combined. Spread frosting even over top of the cake and garnish, if desired, with well-drained pineapple tidbits and Maraschino cherries.
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RATE THIS RECIPE
Serving: 1/12 of the recipe | Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 350mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
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