Brown Sugar Pineapple Cake - Celebrating Sweets

Published: Feb 16, 2021 · Modified: Mar 26, 2021 by Allison · 6 Comments

This Pineapple Cake is absolutely incredible! A fluffy vanilla cake topped with pineapple rings, a brown sugar crumble, and a brown sugar-lemon glaze. A mash-up of pineapple upside down cake and crumb cake.

Slice of pineapple cake topped with crumble and brown sugar sauce on a white plate

Today we’re talking about Pineapple Cake! With brown sugar crumble! And brown sugar glaze! This is like a mashup of crumb cake and pineapple upside down cake (though not upside down), and it is a match made in heaven.

I love baking cakes with fruit, and although I have cakes with every fruit under the sun (Strawberry Shortcake Cake, Lemon Blueberry Cake, Banana Bundt Cake, Coconut Cake, Peach Cake…) I had not yet found a pineapple cake that I was crazy for. Until now! And, OMG, it is SO good.

Jump to:

Brown sugar glaze being poured over a pineapple cake

Recipe overview

This recipe has four components that work perfectly together:

Fluffy vanilla cake: This cake batter comes together in one bowl in under 10 minutes. Pour the cake batter into the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish.
Pineapple rings: Place 8 pineapple rings over the top of the cake batter. Canned pineapple rings work perfectly for this.
Brown sugar crumble: A quick and easy brown sugar crumble gets added on top of the pineapple.
Brown sugar-lemon glaze: Right before serving, drizzle the top of the cake with a decadent sweet and tart brown sugar-lemon glaze.

Collage of pineapple cake and pineapple cake batter in a baking dish

Recipe tips

Use room temperature ingredients for the cake batter. This helps the ingredients blend together more smoothly and easily.
Use canned pineapple. The consistency of the slices helps to ensure that the cake will bake up evenly.
Blot the pineapple rings dry with paper towels before adding them on top of the cake batter.
I like to leave the pineapple rings whole for presentation purposes, but if you’d prefer you can quarter the rings to make the cake easier to eat.
Wait to add the brown sugar glaze until you are ready to serve the cake. The glaze can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave as needed.

Serving and storage

Serving: This cake is best served the day it is made. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat slightly before serving.

More fruit desserts

Recipe

Pineapple Crumb Cake

This Pineapple Cake is absolutely incredible! A fluffy vanilla cake topped with pineapple rings, a brown sugar crumble, and a brown sugar-lemon glaze.

4.60 from 5 votes

Print Pin Save Saved!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 9

Calories: 339kcal

Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Brown Sugar Crumble:

Brown Sugar-Lemon Glaze:

Instructions

Crumble:

Combine all ingredients working the soft butter into the dry ingredients with a fork, small silicone spatula, or your fingers, until the mixture is well combined and crumbly. Place in the refrigerator while you proceed with the cake.

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 baking pan.
Lay some paper towels (two layers thick) out on the countertop. Place the 8 pineapple rings on the paper towels and top with another layer of paper towels. Gently press down on the pineapple allowing the excess moisture to be absorbed into the towels. Allow the pineapple to dry out on the paper towels while you proceed with the cake.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter, milk, and vanilla and beat on medium speed, then increase the speed to high and beat for one minute. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Top with the pineapple rings**. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Glaze:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until well combined, about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Drizzle the glaze over the cake before serving.

Notes

*Soften one stick (½ cup) of butter. You will use the whole stick, divided throughout the recipe.**If desired you can cut the pineapple rings in half or in quarters. This makes the cake a little bit easier to cut into when eating. Tip

: To bring milk to room temperature quickly: microwave it long enough to take the chill off. To bring eggs to room temperature quickly: place the eggs in a bowl of hot water (I use hot tap water) and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Serving: This cake is best served the day it is made. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Storage: Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat slightly before serving.