Coconut Pineapple Upside Down Cake (with frosting!)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This pineapple upside down cake with coconut tastes like a tropical dream! It’s a light, moist, and fruity cake with a sweet pineapple cream cheese frosting. It’s simpler to make than it looks, and it’s ready in just an hour!
If you’re a fan of tropical vacations and piña coladas, you’re going to swoon over this coconut pineapple upside down cake. It’s a moist and fruity double-layer cake finished with a cream cheese frosting and large flake toasted coconut.
It’s an absolute showstopper dessert, and you don’t need to be a skilled baker to make it. It’s simply made with pineapple slices at the bottom that, when sprinkled with a bit of sugar, become caramelized and candy-like.
The easy pineapple-infused cream cheese frosting has a rich, tangy flavor and a creamy texture that pairs well with the other flavors in this fresh cake.
How to make buttermilk for this cake
Making buttermilk at home is quick and easy. Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for every cup of milk. Stir, then let it sit for a few minutes to curdle; it’s ready to use!
This recipe uses ½ cup of buttermilk. To get the right amount for the recipe, use ½ cup of milk and ½ tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
Coconut Pineapple Upside Down Cake (with frosting!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar (plus 2 tablespoons for the cake pans)
- 2 14-ounce cans pineapple rounds (reserve the juice)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup canned crushed pineapple
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ tablespoons dark rum (optional)
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup fine shredded coconut
- 1 cup large flaked coconut
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup butter (at room temperature)
- ½ cup cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut out 2 pieces of parchment paper the size of your baking pans. Grease the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans with butter. Place the parchment circles in the bottom of the pans and grease the top of the parchment paper, too. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar into the pans.1 tablespoon butter
- Drain the pineapple slices and reserve the juice from one of them. Place the pineapple slices in both of the prepared cake pans. You should be able to get 7 slices per pan. Sprinkle the tops of the pineapple with another 1 tablespoon of sugar.2 14-ounce cans pineapple rounds
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, crushed pineapple, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and dark rum. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once and whisk to combine. Stir in the pecans and finely shredded coconut.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 2 large eggs, 1 cup canned crushed pineapple, ½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup buttermilk, 1 ½ tablespoons dark rum, 1 cup chopped pecans, ½ cup fine shredded coconut, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them sit for 10 minutes. Invert them onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely. (See notes.)
- Place the large flaked coconut on a baking tray and, when the cakes come out of the oven, put the coconut in. Toast the coconut for 2-3 minutes then remove it from the oven and let it cool completely. Watch the coconut VERY carefully as it toasts (or burns!) easily.1 cup large flaked coconut
- While the cakes are cooling, prepare the icing. In a medium-sized bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar, pineapple juice, and sea salt and beat until combined.½ cup butter, ½ cup cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Once the cakes have cooled completely, spread the icing over the top of one of the cakes then place the other cake on top. Ice the sides (but not the top!) of the cakes and then sprinkle the toasted coconut onto the icing.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Amazing looking. My favorite fruit – pineapple…of course fresh, not canned. My favorite desert – pineapple upside down cake. I used to have a hard time finding a good one, since most are made with canned fruit. Freshly cut pineapple wipes out any memory of bad pineapple upside down cakes. And as you can tell, I’m a purist, and would prefer to keep the siding ingredient out of the recipe, although the pina colada flavor profile is delicious. This is a gorgeous looking cake, and looks like a wonderful dessert for a special meal’s conclusion. I really dig your images.
Well yes and no … the city is beautiful and warm. All the trees have blossomed, the flowers are up and it’s t-shirt weather for sure when the sun is shining. But there’s still enough snow in the mountains for a good day of riding. It’s the best of both worlds this time of year 🙂