Pineapple cake has a special place in my heart because of my grandpa. Every year on his birthday, my grandma would make a pineapple cake and a german chocolate cake to celebrate. I looked forward to those cakes every year and could never decide which flavor I wanted. The only solution was to have a slice of both cakes! My grandpa’s birthday was always a slightly controversial occasion, because no one could agree on when his birthday actually was. His mother always insisted that he was born on the ninth, but his birth certificate said that he was born on the tenth. It’s funny to me to think that there was ever a time when things were so loosely documented. 🙂 I know down to the minute when each of my children was born! My grandparents chose to just celebrate both days, which I think was a great idea. More cake is always a good thing! Even after my grandpa passed away when I was a teenager, my grandma continued to bake those two cakes every year on his birthday(s), and we all gathered as a family to celebrate and remember him. To me, pineapple cake tastes like family and celebration and good memories. This pineapple sunshine cake is a little different from the cake my grandma made, but still evokes all of those good memories. It’s light and fluffy, tender and moist, and has the perfect pineapple flavor!
I was inspired by this pineapple sunshine cake from Belle of the Kitchen, but decided to make my cake from scratch instead of using a mix. It was still incredibly easy to whip up, and I love the homemade taste!
Pineapple Sunshine Cake
The full recipe is at the bottom of this post, but here’s what you’ll need:
flour sugar eggs baking soda salt vanilla crushed pineapple whipping cream powdered sugar
This cake could not be simpler to assemble. You just dump all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix! Be sure to save a little of your crushed pineapple for sprinkling on the top of the cake.
The cake bakes up so golden and delicious. The sugar in the pineapple caramelizes and makes the cake a little darker than a typical cake, but that’s totally okay.
Once it has cooled, you’ll make your sweetened whipped cream, and sprinkle a little extra crushed pineapple over the top. So simple but so delicious!
The pineapple gives the cake such a delicious and fresh flavor, and also helps to keep it moist and tender. The sweetened whipped cream adds the perfect touch of light and airy sweetness to the cake.
My family loved this cake, and it was the perfect dessert to celebrate the lovely spring weather we’ve been having lately. I love that it’s so easy to make, too! It’s perfect for a busy night when you need a little something sweet, or for when you have unexpected company. Yum!
This light and fluffy pineapple sunshine cake tastes just like springtime! It’s so easy to make and the perfect spring dessert!
