By Elina 
This hawaiian pineapple cake recipe is a moist 9×13 sheet cake with crushed pineapple baked right into the crumb, coconut and pecans folded through, and a thick whipped cream topping scattered with pineapple chunks, toasted pecans, and toasted coconut. It serves 12, it is mixed in one bowl, and the only real rule is the chill: thirty minutes in the fridge turns a soft, sliding topping into clean, square slices with visible layers.
One clarification up front, because the name causes confusion: this is not an upside-down cake. Nothing gets flipped, and there is no caramelized fruit layer on the bottom. The pineapple is inside the batter, the topping goes on top, and it stays in the dish it baked in.
Not Upside-Down: What This Cake Actually Is
If you want the flipped, caramelized version, the pineapple upside-down cake on this site is that recipe. This one belongs to a different family — the Hawaiian wedding-style sheet cake: a soft pineapple crumb, a creamy white topping, and a crunchy, fruity scatter on top. It is closer to a lush or poke-style cake than to a butter cake, and it is built to be served cold from the fridge, which is part of why it works at potlucks and summer gatherings.
The photo this recipe is built from shows exactly that structure: golden cake at the bottom, a pineapple layer, a thick white topping, and chunks of pineapple with chopped pecans and crumbs on top. Everything below is written to match that cake, not a generic pineapple cake.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 can (20 oz / 565 g) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
- 1 cup (85 g) sweetened shredded coconut
- 3/4 cup (85 g) chopped pecans
For the whipped topping:
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping scatter:
- 1 cup pineapple chunks, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
- 1/2 cup toasted coconut
On substitutions: canned crushed pineapple in juice is the right call here — the juice is part of the batter’s moisture, so do not drain it. Fresh pineapple works for the garnish chunks on top, but not as a swap for the canned crushed pineapple in the batter. Macadamia nuts or walnuts can replace the pecans; the coconut can be left out of the batter if you must, but keep it in the topping scatter, where it does the most work.
The One Batter Rule
Do not overmix this batter. There is no butter or oil in the cake — the pineapple juice and the eggs carry the moisture — so the crumb depends on a light hand. Stir the dry ingredients, eggs, vanilla, and undrained pineapple together just until no dry flour remains, then fold in the coconut and pecans and stop. A few small lumps are fine; five extra minutes of beating is what makes this cake tough. The batter will look wetter than a normal cake batter. That is correct.
Hawaiian Pineapple Cake Recipe: Step by Step
Step 1: Mix the batter. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch glass baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, vanilla, and the whole can of crushed pineapple with its juice. Stir by hand until the batter is evenly moistened and no dry flour remains.
Step 2: Fold in the coconut and pecans, then pan it. Fold in the shredded coconut and chopped pecans with a spatula — a few strokes only. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared dish and smooth the top. The batter will be loose and wet; it bakes up fine.
Step 3: Bake until golden, then cool completely. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the dish on a rack — at least 1 hour. This step is not optional: warm cake melts the topping on contact.
Step 4: Whip the topping. Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Pour in the cold heavy cream and whip until soft peaks hold their shape — thick enough to spread, not stiff enough to look dry. If it starts to look grainy, you have gone past soft peaks; stop immediately.
Step 5: Top and scatter. Spread the topping evenly over the cooled cake, edge to edge. Scatter the drained pineapple chunks, toasted pecans, and toasted coconut over the top. Press the scatter in very lightly so it stays put when sliced.
Step 6: Chill, then slice clean. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the topping firms up. Slice into 12 squares with a hot, dry knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Serve cold or at cool room temperature — the layers show best when the cake is still chilled.
When It Goes Wrong
Soggy center. Either the cake was underbaked, or the pineapple juice was drained off. Use the can undrained, and trust the toothpick test in the very center, not the edges — the edges set first.
Topping slides off. The cake was still warm. It must be completely cool to the touch before the topping goes on. If it slid, scrape it off, chill the cake, and re-spread.
Topping too soft and won’t hold peaks. The cream was not cold enough, or it was whipped past soft peaks into graininess. Chill the bowl and cream, and stop at soft peaks — the cream cheese gives it body, the chill gives it structure.
Dry crumb. It baked too long. Pull it at golden with a clean toothpick; the pineapple juice keeps the crumb moist only if you do not overbake it.
Make Ahead and Storage
This cake is a genuine make-ahead dessert: bake it the day before, cool it, wrap the dish, and top it the next day, or top it and refrigerate overnight — the flavor is better on day two, when the pineapple has settled into the crumb. Topped cake keeps covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. The plain baked cake (untopped) freezes well for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge, then top and chill before serving. Do not freeze the topped cake — the whipped topping weeps when thawed.
More Recipes You’ll Love
If the tropical angle is what drew you in, the easy coconut cake is the closest cousin on this site, and the pecan pie cake uses the same toasted-pecan crunch in a different direction.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as pineapple upside-down cake?
No. Upside-down cake has fruit and sugar caramelized on the bottom of the pan and gets flipped after baking. This cake has pineapple inside the batter, a whipped topping on top, and never leaves its dish.
Can I use fresh pineapple instead of canned?
For the garnish chunks on top, yes. For the batter, no — the recipe needs canned crushed pineapple with its juice, because that juice is part of the cake’s moisture.
Can I use frozen whipped topping instead of whipping cream?
Yes. Thaw one 8-oz tub, fold it into the beaten cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla, and spread. The set will be softer, so chill a full hour before slicing.
Why chill before slicing?
Warm topping slides and smears. Thirty minutes in the fridge firms the topping and the layers, so a hot, dry knife cuts clean squares instead of dragging the topping across the cake.
