Summer baking means easy baking!
This Pineapple Crush Cake fits that description!
Fluffy layers of vanilla cake, pineapple filling and the best vegan buttercream icing!
Inspired by my Piña Colada Cheesecake bars
I desperately needed another way to showcase the Pineapple Butter Rum topping that so good you will have to stop yourself from just eating it with a spoon!
Simply by thickening up the natural juice from a can of crushed pineapple
Add Spiced Rum Extract *optional and some vegan butter for instant thick pineapple butter rum pudding!
The daisy chain buttercream decor is completely optional but really fun and easy too!
PRO TIP:
I have not been using shortening in my buttercream recipe, but lately I’ve been getting back to some old school decorating
So for the flower decor I did use the buttercream recipe including the shortening
Hi Ratio cake & icing shortening is the best way to go for making icings since it will add stability for piping and decorating a cake like this
Click here for a small batch resource for Hi Ratio Cake & Icing Shortening
VIDEO TUTORIAL HERE!
CLICK HERE FOR THE YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO ASSEMBLE THIS CAKE!
Notes for Success:
Cornstarch is a very difficult ingredient to measure consistently with a volume spoons measure
So while I list both measures below I cannot stress enough how the grams measure with a scale is going to give you the best results.
Many times people have complained that their custard is like rubber and they don’t know why!
This is from a heavy measure of cornstarch when using volume measuring spoon vs the 100% accurate scale measure in grams.
I like to bake my cake layers into 3-7″ cake pans
If you don’t have 7″ pans simply divide the cake batter recipe listed below into 2-8″ pans for a 2 layer cake instead of 3
American style buttercream with the addition of shortening is the recipe I am using today
CHOOSING THE BEST BUTTERCREAM RECIPE
Olive Nation has some really great baking ingredients and I’ve worked with them in past collaborations
They will still honor the 20% discount just for clicking through from my website to theirs!
Enter GVB20 in the coupon area at checkout for 20% off your order!
For more easy layer cake recipes click the links below!
- Raspberry Fluff Cake
- Strawbery Ruffle Cake
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
Strawberry Vanilla Ruffle Cake
Pineapple Crush Cake

Ingredients
For the Pineapple Topping:
- 1 Can 20oz Crushed Pineapple in 100% juice
- *(this is equivalent to approx 2.5 cups crushed Pineapple in 1 cup juice)
- Cornstarch 2 Tablespoons (16g)
- Vegan Butter 4 Tablespoons (56g)
- Spiced Rum Extract or Spiced Rum 4 teaspoons (20ml) *optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- First prepare the yellow cake recipe and bake in 3- greased & parchment lined 7" cake pans
- While the cakes are baking prepare the buttercream recipe as per the instructions.
- If you are making the daisy decor, you will then separate out ¼ cup buttercream for the yellow, ¼ cup for green & about 1½ cups white for the daisy petals
- The rest of the buttercream can be tinted a light yellow for the icing & building of the cake
- Meanwhile prepare the pineapple topping by draining all the juice from the pineapple can into a small sauce pot with the cornstarch and whisk completely smooth
- Cook over medium high heat whisking constantly until it comes to a full boil
- Remove from the heat and add the spiced rum extract and the vegan butter stirring until melted & combined well
- Add the crushed pineapple, transfer to a bowl or container to cool, reserve until ready to build the cake
- Once the cakes are baked & completely cold build the cake as shown in the video tutorial
Notes
Pineapple Crush Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days
For longer storage keep refrigerated for up to 10 days
Do you still post your cakes that aren’t vegan?
Hi Laura, Since December of 2019 my non vegan blog has shut down.
I couldn’t keep up the cost to host it on the internet and maintain it monthly anymore
not to mention I was sharing recipes laden with animal ingredients promoting the very industry I loath
This had been conflicting me financially & emotionally for many years,
so after 5 years of keeping it free & open to the public I finally decided to shut it down.
I have stunned NON Vegans with my vegan recipes, perhaps you could try to do the same?
If not, I am sure there are tons of great recipes out there for you to use!
Gretchen
Hi Gretchen! I discovered your channel on YouTube and can’t wait to try sooo many of your recipes. I will be making your Pineapple Crush Cake, by request, for my husbands upcoming birthday. He’s going to love it. Do you have a recipe for a pineapple-coconut cake, or a pina colada cake? I know he would love those, too. Thanks for all your amazing recipes!
Elizabeth L
Amherst, NY
YAY! Awesome thank you! I have a recipe for coconut cake that can easily be converted into a pineapple coconut cake simply by adding the pineapple topping recipe from my Pina Colada Cheesecake Bars!!
So basically bake this COCONUT CAKE RECIPE
and then Make THIS PINEAPPLE TOPPING (for the filling!)
Thank you so much for replying! I just read through the coconut cake recipe, and the pineapple topping recipe, and the combination sounds amazing! I will definitely be giving this a shot for my husbands birthday!