Coconut Pineapple Cake

When you can only dream of traveling to a crystal-clear turquoise coast with powdery sand drifting through your toes, you do the next best thing. You bake a coconut pineapple cake – a tropical paradise masquerading as a delicious, nutty dessert.

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How to make pineapple coconut cake?

Cake recipe FAQs

Ingredient substitutes

How to serve pineapple coconut cake

How to make a coconut pineapple cake?

The recipe is very much part of my #TAFEverydayCake - easy to make without any fuss or muss.

• Begin by mixing water with flaxseed powder. Set it aside for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, sift all-purpose flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
• Whisk in coconut sugar and desiccated coconut. 
• By now, the flax egg should be thick and ready, so mix it with coconut oil, vanilla extract, and the juice of tinned pineapples. 
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and then combine them till you have a viscous batter. 
• Fold in chopped pineapples along with cashews (the nuts pair nicely with the flavors of the cake).
• Transfer the batter into a well-greased 6-inch round tin. 
• Smoothen the top with a knife and then embellish with leftover pineapple pieces and cashews.
• Bake the cake for a good 40 to 45 minutes till a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Coconut pineapple cake recipe FAQs

How to make flax eggs?

When I’m baking an eggless cake, I prefer flax eggs as the substitute. It does the job really well. Not for once can you say that the cake has no eggs in it. 

To make, mix a tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Set that to chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

In any recipe, the flax egg should be the first thing you prepare. It saves time since you can move on to the next step while you wait for it to thicken.

How do you fix dry cake batter?

If you feel the cake batter is not wet enough or too thick, you have two options. You could add a tablespoon or two of milk, or you could add more pineapple juice.

How to stop the cake from getting burnt?

At times, the outside of the cake starts browning faster while the inside is still raw. A simple trick to ensure that the cake is cooked through is tenting it. Roll a foil into a cone and place it on the surface of the cake like a tent. It’ll conserve steam and deflect some oven heat.

Can you use pineapple essence in the cake?

I didn’t see the need to add more dimension to the cake flavors with pineapple essence. But if you have some at hand, a couple of drops will act as an intensifier, giving you more of that little nutty and slightly sweet taste.

What else can you use in coconut pineapple cake?

Pineapples: Fresh pineapples add a tropical flavor to the cake. Yes, slicing and dicing them takes longer, but it's worth it. If you don't have fresh pineapples on hand, like me, tinned pineapples will suffice. However, avoid those that have been canned in sugar syrup.

Look for pineapple slices or chunks canned in natural fruit juice. Why? It brings down the sugar content, so the cake is not overwhelmingly sweet. I also rinse and drain the slices, for the same reason, before I incorporate them into the batter.

Pineapple juice: Since I favor a zero-waste kitchen, I saved the juice of the tinned pineapples and used it as a wet ingredient. You can sub the juice with milk (any kind you prefer) or even plain Greek yogurt, as I did for my Coconut Peach Cake.

Flour: Substitute all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, or you can use half of both. For a gluten-free pineapple coconut cake, switch to buckwheat flour. 

Sugar: From regular to cane, any sugar you regularly bake with is good here. Do note that the color of the cake will differ based on the type of sugar you use. Mine is almost caramel in hue because of the coconut sugar.

Nuts: Walnuts, almonds, pistachios – any nuts work like a charm in the cake, lending it a slow dancing textural melody. Don’t like the mouthfeel of nuts? Please feel free to leave them out.

Coconut: Somehow, I’m nutty about the crunch of desiccated coconut, but the recipe will be equally delightful with unsweetened, shredded coconut. 

Topping ideas for the cake

The whole idea behind the pineapple coconut cake was to keep it easy and light – something you can whip up in a jiffy. So, I served the cake as-is, without even a speck of icing sugar or frosting. 

For those in the mood for something richer, I recommend a cream cheese frosting followed by a dusting of some desiccated coconut. Garnishing it with toasted nuts – cashews, almonds, pistachios – is another option. 

How to serve coconut pineapple cake

With bits of yummy pineapple running throughout the cake and the coconut rounding out the flavoring, you don’t need any accompaniment. We polished it exactly as it was as an evening snack. For dessert, I suggest some whipped cream on the side or even a cool scoop of ice cream. 

Try the pineapple cake recipe. It’s:

A revelry of fruity tropical flavors

Soft, fluffy, and moist

Easy to make

Eggless

Vegan

Prefer easy everyday cakes? Then you’ll want to try these :

Peach Cherry Cake

Coffee Banana Cake

Coconut Banana Bread

Vegan Coconut Tea Cake

Coconut Cardamom CakeUpside-Down Pineapple Cake

If you make this light and lovely coconut pineapple cake, please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love getting to connect with you guys. You can also follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for more fabulous recipes.