This Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is an old fashioned recipe that’s super easy to make. It’s secret to success is using crushed pineapple, not only for a tropical feel but for it’s super moist texture. Slathered with tangy rich cream cheese frosting, this is one irresistible cake. Let’s take a look.
If you love good old-fashioned reliable crowd pleasing desserts, don’t miss my Mom’s recipe for Cherry Delight Dessert.

When it comes time for baking for entertaining, I always turn to this Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe. However, a couple other very popular choices are these Old Fashioned Orange Slice Bars and these Chocolate Mint Brownies made with Hershey syrup.
And if you’re entertaining ice cream fans, this Mexican Chocolate Sauce with Kahlua will wow your crowd.
Table of contents
About This Recipe
If you’re nervous about making homemade cakes, this Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese frosting recipe is a great one to start with.
Easy enough for a beginning baker and delicious enough that even an experienced baker will fall in love with this recipe.
And this crushed pineapple cake is one of the most popular recipes I take to pot lucks. It’s a crowd pleaser and I’m always asked for the recipe.
The sweetness of this cake becomes irresistible once topped with tangy cream cheese frosting studded with pecans to balance the flavors.
This recipe comes from our friends Jimmy and Lisa in Missouri. Lisa’s aunt Micky Duffy brought it to Lisa’s bridal shower some 30 years ago.
When Lisa made it for, upon first bite, I was begging for the recipe.
It’s a super easy cake to make and with a can of crushed pineapple, incredibly moist and dense. When topped with cream cheese frosting with pecans, every bite is divine and addicting.
Ingredients You’ll Need

- Cream Cheese Full fat please. You’ll be more satisfied with that cream cheese frosting.
- Powdered Sugar
- All Purpose Flour
- Crushed Pineapple
- Sugar
- Pecans
- Eggs
- Butter
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla
Step By Step Instructions – It’s Easy


- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, add flour baking soda, sugar and a pinch of salt. Blend for a few seconds to combine. Add crushed pineapple, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix on medium speed with an electric mixer until combined. Add chopped pecans and using the low speed to blend them in.
- Step 2: Pour the cake batter into a greased and floured rectangular cake pan. Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees.


- Step 3: Prepare the cream cheese frosting by mixing together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and pecans. Spread on the cake while the cake is still warm (but not hot).

If for some reason your store didn’t have crushed pineapple, purchase a can of pineapple chunks. Drain most of the pineapple juice off and pour the pineapple into a food processor. Pulse until you reach the consistency of crushed pineapple from a can.
Only if it’s not frosted. The cream cheese frosting simply won’t freeze well.
No. Keeping the minimal amount of sweet pineapple juice from the can, will keep this cake moist and sweet.
Yes, and I have many times. Use a half sheet pan. Or a pan that’s labeled as a Jelly Roll pan. Which should measure around 18 x 13 inches.
Using a non stick spray or even yet butter will keep the batter from sticking to the pan during the baking process. Adding a very thin layer of flour serves as a barrier between the batter and the grease. This way the grease wont soak into the cake and will do its job as a non-stick element.
Storage
You can keep this cake covered with aluminum foil on the counter for a day. I then recommend refrigerating the cake for up to four days. This cake is so moist, you won’t need to worry about the refrigerator drying it out.
Tips For Success
- Allow about an hour for the cream cheese to soften.
- Use an off set spatula or spreader knife to make spreading the frosting the cake easier.
- Use a brand name quality can of crushed pineapple. I have found that some generic brands lack a nice pineapple flavor, and can have too much liquid.
- Easiest way to add flour to the cake pan. Using your hand, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of all purpose flour on the botom of the greased cake pan. Pick up the pan and tap the sides with the palms of your hands … rotating the pan as you do so. Once the pan is coated, empty out the excess flour.
Not only did Lisa serve up this delicious Pineapple cake with Cream Cheese, but just happened to have with her the original hand written recipe that was given to her 29 years ago.
Thanks to Lisa for sharing this with me, it’s now my go-to “wow them” recipe. And believe me there’s a reason Micky Duffy underlined “very good”

More Popular Cake Recipes
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Old-Fashioned Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- For The Cake
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 eggs slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cups crushed pineapple canned, undrained
- ½ cup pecans pieces or whole pecans rough chopped
- For the Icing
- 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. And set out butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, add the baking soda, flour sugar, and a pinch of salt. Using the low speed of the mixer, blend until combined, about 30 seconds will work.
- Add the beaten eggs, vanilla and crushed pineapple. Using medium speed of an electric mixer, blend until combined. About 1 – 2 minutes.
- Stir in ½ cup peans.
- Using butter, coat a rectangular 9 x 13 cake pan. Then dust the pan with flour. Add the cake batter and bake in a 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake 35 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- For the icing, beat all ingredients in mixer until smooth. Spread on cake while cake is still hot.
Notes
- Allow about an hour for the cream cheese to soften. Set it on the counter to come to room temperature.
- Use an off set spatula or spreader knife to make spreading the frosting the cake easier.
- Use a brand name quality can of crushed pineapple. I have found that some generic brands lack a nice pineapple flavor, and too much flavor. If there’s a large amount of liquid on top when you open the can, remove about 2 tablespoons.
- Using a non stick spray or even yet butter will keep the batter from sticking to the pan during the baking process. Adding a very thin layer of flour serves as a barrier between the batter and the grease. This way the grease wont soak into the cake and will do its job as a non-stick element.
Nutrition
Old-Fashioned Pineapple Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting …It’s What’s for Dessert.


































































