Move over pineapple upside-down cake — there’s a new pineapple cake in town! Thanks to crushed pineapple added right into the cake batter, this layered pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting is quick and easy to make, and packs in plenty of pineapple flavor to have you thinking about warm summer breezes and mini-umbrella festooned cocktails.
Slivered almonds add an elegant crunch. Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
The pineapple (named for its resemblance to the pine cone) is native to South America, and was brought back to Europe by Christopher Columbus in 1493. Soon after it’s believed a Spanish ship brought it to Hawaii, where it flourished and eventually became a monster crop for the island chain.
We often see pineapples used throughout New England at inns and restaurants as symbols of welcome and hospitality, harking back to the days when sea captains would return from voyages to the Caribbean Islands. Legend tells us that the captain would place a pineapple from the voyage on a fence post outside the house to let friends and neighbors know he had returned safely, and to welcome them inside for a visit (and likely, some rum).
Why not continue the tradition by showing up at a friend’s house with this pineapple right-side-up cake to share over coffee and conversation?
Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
Because it calls for oil instead of butter, this cake is a one-bowl wonder with no creaming step. Moist and sweet, you’ll have no trouble finding willing volunteers to help make it disappear — I didn’t!
Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
Think spring (and then summer) by making this pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting and sharing the delicious results!
This post was first published in 2013 and has been updated.
Aimee Tucker is Yankee Magazine’s Home Editor and the Senior Digital Editor of NewEngland.com. A lifelong New Englander and Yankee contributor since 2010, Aimee has written columns devoted to history, foliage, retro food, and architecture, and regularly shares her experiences in New England travel, home, and gardening. Her most memorable Yankee experiences to date include meeting Stephen King, singing along to a James Taylor Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood, and taking to the skies in the Hood blimp for an open-air tour of the Massachusetts coastline.
