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Pineapple angel food cake is a soft, fluffy, fun treat that takes nearly no effort to make! And even better, it’s made with just two simple-to-find ingredients that you may already have in your pantry. That’s right; just two ingredients!
Anyone who grew up going to church potlucks like I did knows the joy of spotting an angel food cake on the buffet table. You just knew it was going to be good! Much like the pig pickin cake, it’s delicious and chock full of love. But, the best part about cakes like this one is how easy they are to make. This one needs only 2 ingredients. You read that right!
Pineapple Angel Food Cake
When my friend Hetty sent me this recipe years ago, I was so intrigued that I immediately went to the store to pick up the two (yes, only TWO) ingredients needed to bake this cake. And, let me tell you, the result is far far more than the sum of its parts, here. My family gave this cake a universal two-thumbs up across the table.
I loved angel food cake before (honestly, who doesn’t?) but the addition of the crushed pineapple takes it up a notch. And mercy, it seems almost impossible that something so ridiculously easy to make could taste so good; but it does!
This was my Mom’s favorite cake. She would have me make a 9×13 inch pan of it and put individually wrapped pieces of it in the freezer so she could take out a couple at a time. She had a rotation of cake choices but this was her favorite. I still make it but it doesn’t last too long around here. Cannot get any easier!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Ingredient One – I get things started with a box of angel food cake mix.
Ingredient Two – The final item on this extensive list is a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple. Now, you’re ready to put this dream of a cake together!
Notes on Equipment
- Tube baking pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand Mixer or whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Can opener
How to Make Pineapple Angel Food Cake
Preheating the Oven: With the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven, I preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Making the Batter: You need to dump the cake mix and the crushed pineapple and juices into a mixing bowl and combine. I beat it with an electric hand mixer on for about 30 seconds, then take a spatula to scrape the sides. Repeat for another 60 seconds on medium.
Filling the Pan: I know it’s counterintuitive, but this recipe for pineapple angel food cake requires an UNGREASED pan. I use a tube pan, but check the tips if you don’t have one.
Baking: Bake for about 40 minutes, until it is deeply golden brown.
Cooling: I let the cake cool completely (2 hours).
Removing from the Pan: After the cake has cooled completely, you’ll need to carefully run a knife or a thin, flexible spatula along the sides of the pan to make sure the cake has loosened fully. Then, turn the cake over onto a serving dish or platter.
Slicing: I always use a serrated knife to cut this cake because the serrations help prevent crushing the delicate, airy cake.
Expert Tip
If you do not have a tube pan, you can still make this cake! Line two 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pans with foil, making sure that the foil overhangs the edges by at least an inch. Then you just need to evenly divide the batter between them. Bake as directed, but start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. They should finish about 15 minutes faster.
Ice, Ice Baby: The freezer is your friend if you want to make this pineapple angel food cake recipe but can’t eat an entire cake in one sitting. Simply slice the cake into serving size portions and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Then, wrap them in foil. The plastic wrap keeps the moisture in, and the foil prevents freezer burn. Just don’t forget to label them!
Cool Things Down: Perhaps one of the easiest tricks for cooling this cake is to invert the pan and slide it over the neck of an empty wine bottle. It keeps the cake suspended in the air where it can easily cool. If you’re using loaf pans, just invert them and use something on the corners to support the pan without smooshing the cake.
Leave Some Room: While it may be tempting, do not fill your pan more than ⅔ full. Angel food cakes expand dramatically while they bake. If you fill it to the tippy-top, you’ll be scrubbing burnt batter off the bottom of your oven.
Serving Suggestions
I almost never serve this cake by itself, because all that fluffy crumb is just begging for a little something extra on top. The flavors here pair wonderfully with fruity additions. I like to drizzle some strawberry puree over each slice, or even add a scoop of cherry pie filling.
And, who can say no to pairing this with classic whipped cream? I will however say that once you learn how easy it is to make homemade whipped cream, it’s hard to go back!
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: Because this cake is so lean, it is at its very best eaten within 24 hours of when it is made. But, store it correctly, and it will be delicious well beyond that.
How to Store: Store at room temperature, tightly covered, for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can store it tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
How to Reheat: Reheating is unnecessary. But, if you freeze any of this, simply thaw frozen slices at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
More Cakes with Fruit:
- Blueberry Buttermilk Cake
- Cherry Cake
- Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake
- Easy Black Forest Cake
- Blueberry Dump Cake
- Rhubarb Dump Cake
Frequently Asked Questions
I promise, you read the ingredients right. It really is a two ingredient cake. No typos or tricks. The pineapple juices add all of the liquid that is needed for a perfect cake!
There are a few issues with this. Yes, the designs seem similar. But, I don’t recommend it for two reasons:
First and most importantly, Bundt pans are often non-stick coated. Non-stick coating is the arch-enemy of getting a fluffy, lofty, high-rising angel food cake. Angel food cake needs to cling to the un-coated, grippy walls of the pan to climb to its pinnacle.
Secondly, the design on a Bundt pan makes it much tougher to slide a knife around the edge to get your cake out.
Sadly, no. The canned pineapple called for in this recipe is packed with pineapple juice and this recipe needs that liquid for the cake to turn out right.
No. Syrup would create a much sweeter and much denser cake.
You can use them, if you don’t have canned crushed pineapple. However, you will need to manually crush the pineapple so that it can distribute evenly throughout the batter. A quick pulse in a food processor will do the trick!
Angel food cakes have such a delicate structure that they can’t support their own weight as they cool. They collapse in on themselves worse than an introvert in a public speaking class. This is why we invert the cake to cool.
Pineapple Angel Food Cake
Ingredients
- 20 ounces canned crushed pineapple
- 16 ounces package angel food cake mix
- OPTIONAL: whipped topping and/or berries for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the cake mix and the crushed pineapple with juices in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on LOW for 30 seconds. Scrape the sides and increase the speed to MEDIUM for 60 seconds more.
- Pour the batter into an UNGREASED tube pan. Bake for 40 minutes, until deeply golden. Remove from the oven and invert the cake over a wine bottle to cool for 2 hours.
- When the cake has cooled completely, run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn it out onto a large plate or cake platter. Slice with a serrated knife. Serve plain or with the toppings of your choice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was my Mom’s favorite dessert! I still make it often. I started baking it in a 9×13 years ago. It was just easier for me. No icing for us. If I take it for potluck I will give it a powder sugar dust. Love!
I didn’t realize that I had previously reviewed this recipe, oops! 😎
This was my Mom’s favorite cake. She would have me make a 9×13 inch pan of it and put individually wrapped pieces of it in the freezer so she could take out a couple at a time. She had a rotation of cake choices but this was her favorite. I still make it but it doesn’t last too long around here. Cannot get any easier!
I love that story, Sherri. What an awesome memory.