Name: Pumpkin Pineapple Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients: 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 3 eggs, lightly beaten; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin; 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, including juice; 8 ounces cream cheese, softened; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 4 cups powdered sugar; 18 candied pecans, for garnishing

This Pumpkin Pineapple Cake is incredibly moist and flavorful. It would be a marvelous addition to any fall gathering!

A layered pumpkin pineapple cake on a white cake stand. A large wedge is cut out of the cake to reveal the inside layers.

Perfect for Thanksgiving

Spruce up your dessert table at Thanksgiving or any fall celebration with a mouth-watering Pumpkin Pineapple Cake. When you combine the comfort of pure pumpkin and pumpkin spice with the sweetness of crushed pineapple, magic happens! It’s so incredibly moist and flavorful!

A for sticking out of a piece of pumpkin pineapple cake on a white fluted plate/

So Moist, Tender and Fluffy

When the holidays roll around, I’m all about baking with pumpkin. Pumpkin carrot cake, pumpkin sheet cake, and pumpkin pound cake? Yes please. But this one, I dare say, is the pinnacle of autumn baking.

The secret to this easy, fall-flavored cake is a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple, juice and all! Simply mix all of the dry ingredients, then stir in one can of pure pumpkin puree and one can of crushed pineapple (juice included!). All of the holiday magic comes together as the fluffy batter bakes into a tender, moist cake.

While the cakes cool, mix up the creamy, dreamy buttercream frosting. To create a stunning four layered cake, just cut the two baked cake layers in half horizontally then spread a layer of frosting in-between each layer of cake.

A pumpkin pineapple layer cake on a white cake stand.

Ta-da! A moist Pumpkin Pineapple Cake layered with buttercream frosting and topped with candied pecans that is sure to WOW! your crowd this holiday season. Oh my yum!

You just can’t go wrong adding this Pumpkin Pineapple Cake to your fall dessert table. Everyone will be so thankful you did!

A cake with white buttercream frosting and candied pecans as seen from the top.

Ingredients and Supplies

(see recipe card at the bottom of this post for measurements and details. To learn more about specific baking ingredients and how they function in baking recipes, reference my Complete Guide to Baking Ingredients)

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour: provides structure and body to the cake.
Brown sugar: adds sweetness, moisture, and a mild molasses flavor that deepens the pumpkin spice notes.
Granulated sugar: provides sweetness and helps balance the moisture-heavy ingredients.
Pumpkin pie spice: a handy flavor booster with the warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. It’s easy to make your own with my homemade pumpkin pie spice recipe.
Baking powder: leavening agent that helps make the cakes rise and become fluffy.
Baking soda:leavening agent that helps the cake rise.
Kosher salt: balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor. Table salt will actually pack a saltier punch than Kosher salt so if you only have table salt, adjust accordingly.
Large eggs: helps bind the ingredients together and helps the cake rise a little as it bakes.
Pure vanilla extract: enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness. Feel free to use coconut extract, if desired.
Canned pure pumpkin: helps tenderize the cake while adding moisture, body and an earthy-sweet flavor.
Canned crushed pineapple (including juice): keeps the cake extra moist, adds brightness and tang, and balances the dense pumpkin. The juice reacts with the baking soda for lift.
Cream cheese (softened): adds tang and creaminess to the frosting that balances the sweetness of the cake.
Unsalted butter: Adds richness, smoothness, and helps the frosting set in the fridge.
Powdered sugar: sweetens and thickens the frosting. Sift first to avoid lumps.
Candied pecans (for garnishing): adds a beautiful finish and a crunchy, nutty sweetness to each slice.

Supplies:

Ingredients to make pumpkin pineapple cake in small glass dishes on a white marble counter.

How to Make Pumpkin Pineapple Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a small mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs together.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the beaten eggs, vanilla, pumpkin and crushed pineapple. Stir until well combined.
Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
Let cakes cool in pans for at least 15 minutes before running a sharp knife around the edges and turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Steps to make pumpkin pineapple layer cake.

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until well combined and creamy.
Once the cakes are cooled, use a serrated cake knife to split them in half horizontally. Place one cake layer on a cake stand.

Steps to make a pineapple pumpkin layer cake.

Spread a fourth of the frosting over the first cake layer, spreading it all the way to the edges. Repeat with remaining cake layers and frosting.

A layer of buttercream icing on a round cake on a white cake stand as seen from above.

Line the top of the cake with candied pecans, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

The top of a white frosted cake ringed in candied pecans.

Storage

Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap to store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Bring slices to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens and the flavors shine.

To freeze the cake layers without frosting, bake and cool the layers completely. Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil to freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost fresh before serving.

To freeze frosted cake slices, place the frosted cake slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flash freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap and then foil to freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, loosely covered, so condensation doesn’t ruin the frosting.

A cake with white buttercream frosting and candied pecans as seen from the top. A piece is cut out from the cake.

Cakes Made for Celebrating

From a simple cake for a kid’s party to something a little fancier to wow the crowd, look no further than my Cakes Made for Celebrating! Sheet cakes, layer cakes, ice cream cakes, and more. There’s something for every taste and every occasion!

Pumpkin spice pound cake, naked confetti cake, fudge caramel stout cake, and zucchini sheet cake.

If you make my Pumpkin Pineapple Cake, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see. If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join my Friends of The BakerMama group to connect and share all the fun and yummy recipes of mine that you make! 😍 I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the ideas I share. Enjoy!

xoxo,