A Southern Bite original, Pineapple Juice Cake features refreshing flavor and easy ingredients – cake mix, pineapple juice, and a few basics. A quick and simple way to make a delicious cake that bursts with pineapple flavor!
Y’all raved about the Orange Juice Cake that I shared a while back, and I truly had no idea y’all were going to love it as much as you do. Mom’s been making that thing for years, and I’ve just always enjoyed it so much, but the comments and emails I’ve gotten prove y’all are just as crazy about it!
This cake is delicious, easy to make, and gives me that “southern food ” feeling. In fact, I made it twice today…the first time to try this recipe. I am new to Southern Bite and am excited to try the other recipes from Stacey. Thank you!-Melissa
One of the comments that I got was from Cheryl Griffis. She asked if I had ever swapped the orange juice out for pineapple juice. “GENIUS,” I thought. So I got in the kitchen and set out to do just that.
I made a few tweaks to capitalize on all that delicious pineapple flavor and boy did it turn out amazing!! I think this one might even edge out the orange juice version, but then again, I’ve always been a huge pineapple fan.
The super moist cake is infused with pineapple flavor in the cake batter and the butter-pineapple glaze that it gets soaked in amps that pineapple flavor up even more!
I took these photos and may have eaten 2 slices… okay, 3. If you’re a fan of the orange juice version and love pineapple, I bet you’re going to devour this. Seriously.
To build on the popularity, I even went ahead and created a lemonade version. My Lemonade Cake is made with lemonade in the batter and then the cake is soaked in a lemonade glaze! Is your mouth watering yet?
What is Pineapple Juice Cake?
A pineapple juice cake is just that! A delicious, moist pineapple cake filled with pineapple juice in the batter and yummy pineapple juice glaze poured on top of the cake.
Sure, you can make your pineapple juice cake from scratch and hand-squeeze pineapples, but I much prefer using a box cake mix with canned pineapple juice. (Seriously, don’t squeeze pineapples for the juice.) You can make it as easy or complex as you like. Either way, this super moist cake is a crowd-pleaser baked in a bundt pan with a few ingredients that leave you with an impressive dessert everyone is sure to love.
Can I make this cake from scratch?
Sure you can! But I can’t tell you how. I’ve only ever made it using a cake mix. I know, I know… gasps… clutches pearls… “Cake mix, Stacey?! Like in a box?!”
But, the truth is, cake mixes are more affordable, produce more consistent results, and make baking a whole lot easier for the average home cook. My goal here is to make cooking easy and approachable. I want to get folks back to the table to reconnect as a family and if a boxed mix helps people do that, so be it.
However, if you have a scratch cake recipe that you’ve used with this recipe, please share a link below in the comments! I would love to know about it!
How do I store Pineapple Juice Cake?
Because of the juice, this cake spoils more quickly than some others. As such, I recommend storing the Pineapple Juice Cake tightly wrapped or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for 4 to 5 days like that. Although, you will likely eat it up well before then.
Can I freeze Pineapple Juice Cake?
Absolutely! Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. It will keep for several months in the freezer.
Ingredient FAQ
Cake mix – Any butter, pineapple-flavored, or yellow cake mix will work in this recipe as long as they are in the same quantity. Different brands and different flavors of cake mix sometimes have different weights, so be cautious. Just be sure you are using 15.25 ounces of cake mix. Also, I’ve had quite a few reports from readers about how Duncan Hines’s cake mix falls when making this recipe. I tested it and found it to be true as well, so I recommend using Betty Crocker or Pillsbury for this recipe. Duncan Hines is typically my favorite, and it will work, but the center of the cake just might fall a little.
Oil – While you all know I typically bake with unsalted butter, for this particular recipe I highly recommend vegetable oil in the batter. The oil helps give this cake the moisture it’s famous for. Yes, butter adds more flavor, but you don’t need that extra flavor in this cake. But, you want the moisture!
Pineapple juice – I always use canned, but I suppose you could use fresh if you’re into squeezing pineapples. You will need a total of 1 1/2 cups so you better get to squeezing!
Eggs – You will need four eggs for this recipe. As always, I recommend using eggs at room temperature because it combines better with the dry ingredients.
Powdered sugar – I don’t have much to add here besides you can use any powdered sugar you would like.
Butter – While I didn’t recommend butter for the actual cake mixture, I do for the glaze! It is best to use unsalted butter here!
Pineapple Juice Cake
Ingredients
- ▢1 (15.25-ounce) box yellow or butter cake mix* (I prefer Pillsbury for this recipe. See my note below.)
- ▢3/4 cup vegetable oil
- ▢3/4 cup pineapple juice
- ▢4 large eggs
For the glaze:
- ▢2 cups powdered sugar
- ▢3/4 cup pineapple juice
- ▢4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Cook Mode
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Instructions
- ▢Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease and flour a 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan.
- ▢Use an electric mixer to combine the cake mix, vegetable oil, pineapple juice, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat about 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- ▢Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake is just starting to pull away from the sides. Allow the cake to start to cool in the pan while you make the glaze.
- ▢In a small sauce pan, combine the powdered sugar, pineapple juice, and butter. Cook over medium-low heat until the butter has melted, stirring frequently.
- ▢Use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes in the cake. Pour the warm glaze over the cake while it is still in the cake pan. It’s going to seem like a lot of glaze, but just keep pouring. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 more minutes, or until the cake is cool and most of the glaze has been absorbed, then invert the cake onto a serving platter.
Notes
*After some reports from readers and lots of testing, I’ve found that Duncan Hines cake mixes often do not work with this recipe. I prefer to use Pillsbury as Betty Crocker has recently reduced their cake mix size to 13.25 oz.
This makes for an incredibly moist cake. If you feel like that might not be your thing, feel free to use less of the glaze.
Nutrition
Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.