Pineapple Sheet Cake

Pineapple sheet cake is just as easy as it is delicious (and it’s really delicious). The entire batter comes together in one bowl, bakes into a single layer and then is topped with a smooth frosting. That’s it. Every bite is filled with tropical pineapple that’s studded throughout the tender cake with an unctuous, tangy cream cheese frosting on top. It’s so simple and light but feeds a crowd and is full of flavor. I recommend this cake for baking beginners or anyone who loves tropical desserts.

Ingredients for Pineapple Sheet Cake

• All-purpose flour: There is no need for fancy flour here; all-purpose flour will do the trick. Feel free to use a good gluten-free flour blend if needed.
• Sugar: The pineapple cake is sweetened with granulated sugar.
• Eggs: Eggs add volume to the cake and bind the ingredients together, creating structure. Take your eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes before using so they can come to room temperature.
• Nuts: Feel free to use your nut of choice here. Pecans, macadamia nuts or slivered almonds would taste excellent with the pineapple. I always like to toast nuts beforehand to remove their raw edge and bring out their sweetness.
• Baking soda: Leavening agents, like baking soda, help the cake rise. As always, check the expiration date of your baking soda before using it.
• Vanilla extract: I always think of vanilla extract as the flavor that ties all the others together. It’s pretty obvious to me when it’s not there, so don’t skip it!
• Pineapple: For this pineapple sheet cake recipe, you’ll need a 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple. Do not drain the juices—we use them in the cake.
• Cream cheese icing: This pineapple cake is finished with a homemade cream cheese frosting, made from cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and a chopped nut garnish.

Directions

Step 1: Make the cake batter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat together the all-purpose flour, sugar, eggs, nuts, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract and crushed pineapple until smooth.

Step 2: Bake the cake

Pour the batter into a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely to room temperature.

Editor’s Tip: Rotate the pan halfway through baking time for an even cake.

Step 3: Whip up the icing

In a small bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.

Step 4: Decorate

Once the cake has completely cooled to room temperature, spread the cream cheese icing over the cake. Sprinkle the top with nuts if desired.

Recipe Variations

• Change the frosting: Not a fan of cream cheese frosting? There are a lot of different frosting recipes you can use here instead, like coconut pecan frosting, classic vanilla buttercream, or even simple homemade whipped cream or thawed whipped topping.
• Bake in a different-sized pan: If you don’t own a 15x10x1-inch baking pan (aka a jelly-roll pan), bake the cake batter in a greased 13×9-inch baking pan or two 9-inch round pans. You could also use the batter to bake 24 cupcakes!

How to Store Pineapple Sheet Cake

Store pineapple sheet cake in the fridge for up to three days. Make sure the cake is covered with storage wrap or the slices are in an airtight container, otherwise the frosting can absorb funky fridge smells.

Can you make pineapple sheet cake ahead of time?

Yes, you can make pineapple sheet cake ahead of time. Feel free to bake, frost and store the sheet cake the day before serving, or make the cake and frosting, store them separately, then frost the cake the day of serving.

Pineapple Sheet Cake Tips

Why does the top of my pineapple sheet cake look so dark?

Don’t worry if the top of this cake looks dark; it’s not overbaked. Cakes with large amounts of baking soda in them tend to darken because the soda is a browning agent.

Why did my pineapple sheet cake turn out dense?

Your cake may have turned out dense if the batter was overbeaten. Beat the batter just until it’s smooth. Overbeating can cause tunnels to form in the cake.

Why doesn’t this cake have any butter, shortening or oil?

This cake doesn’t have any butter, shortening or oil because there’s enough juice from the canned pineapple to make the cake nice and moist.

Can you use fresh pineapple instead of canned pineapple in this cake?

No, it’s best to use canned pineapple in this cake because the juices in the can add moisture. While fresh pineapple would add the pineapple flavor, it won’t add enough moisture.