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This moist and tender Pina Colada Cake is inspired by the popular Puerto Rican cocktail; it’s baked with chunks of pineapple, infused with rum simple syrup and topped with coconut frosting. Made with yellow box cake mix, this easy dessert is full of tropical flavor!

A slice of pina colada cake.

If you’ve ever had a Piña Colada, you know how well pineapple, coconut and rum pair together.

It turns out that those flavors work together in baking as well! So well that it lead me to developing this tropical pineapple cake with coconut topping; a new favorite in our household.

It’s an impressive cake in both presentation and flavors… but the real secret? It’s made with a box cake mix for a super simple assembly.

More Latin desserts to fall in love with: Light and Fluffy Piña Colada Cupcakes and this Authentic Tres Leches Cake.

Instructions

ingredients for a pina colada cake
Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease and line two 8 inch baking pans with parchment paper.
eggs cracking into a bowl
Using an electric mixer beat together the yellow cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, and pineapple chunks. Mix until an even batter forms.
milk pouring into a bowl
Pour the batter into the baking pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Pull from the oven and let them cool.
pineapple chunks in a bowl of cake batter
Bring a half cup of water to a boil before pouring into a bowl with the sugar and rum to make the simple syrup. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved. While that cools, poke holes all over the cakes before pouring the simple syrup over them. 
pina colada cake batter pouring into a pan
In a clean mixing bowl cream the butter before adding the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Add the coconut extract and cream and beat on low, until evenly incorporated.
a pina colada cake
Toast the shredded coconut in a pan over medium low, tossing regularly until golden brown all around. Set aside to cool.
a pina colada cake with whipped coconut cream on top
Add a dab of the frosting to the base of a cake stand. Flip a cake onto the center of the cake stand and top with a generous spoonful of frosting. Spread into an even layer on the cake and sprinkle with some of the toasted coconut flakes. Add the second cake over top of the frosting. Frost the top of the cake and the perimeter.
a pina colada cake on a platter
Use any remaining frosting to pipe decorations on the top of the cake, as desired. Sprinkle remaining toasted coconut on top or on the sides of the cake and garnish with maraschino cherries.

Infusing Piña Colada Flavor

In testing this recipe for years, I’ve learned that it takes time and effort to make a cake actually taste like a piña colada.

That’s why this recipe is going the extra mile at every step to infuse both the cake and frosting. It’s definitely a labor of love, and one I only make for special occasions.

But trust me when I say it’s 100% worth the work!

a pina colada cake

More Recipes

If you (like me) are super into this flavor combination, check out some more tasty Piña Colada recipes:

10-Minute Piña Colada Recipe (A Classic Puerto Rican Cocktail)

Strawberry Pina Coladas

Pina Colada on the Rocks

Fluffy Piña Colada Cupcakes

Happy baking!

Salima written in cursive
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a slice of pina colada cake

Moist Piña Colada Cake with Pineapple

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  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 3 hour
  • Yield: 8–12 servings 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American, Puerto Rican
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Description

This moist and tender Pina Colada Cake is inspired by the popular Puerto Rican cocktail; it’s baked with chunks of pineapple, infused with rum simple syrup and topped with coconut frosting. Made with yellow box cake mix, this easy dessert is full of tropical flavor!

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Cake:

  • 1 (13.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 1/2 cup pineapple chunks

For the Rum Simple Syrup:

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 tbsp rum

For the Frosting:

  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp coconut extract
  • 2 tbsp coconut cream

Toppings:

  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 6 maraschino cherries

Instructions

  1. Prep oven & cake pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8x8inch round baking pans with parchment paper to prevent any sticking.
  2. Assemble the cake batter: In the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl with a spatula) add the yellow cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, and pineapple chunks. Mix on medium speed until an even batter forms. Use a spatula to ensure all of the dry mix is evenly incorporated. 
  3. Bake the cake: Pour the batter into your prepared baking pans, banging them a few times on the counter to level them out. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Mine took 24 minutes, so just keep an eye on them once it hits the 20 minute mark. Pull from the oven and let them cool.
  4. Prep the simple syrup: While the cakes cook and cool, bring the water to a boil before pouring into a bowl with the sugar and rum. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and set aside. Use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes all over the cakes before pouring the simple syrup over them. 
  5. Prep the coconut frosting: In a clean mixing bowl cream the butter on medium speed before adding the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Beat on medium until smooth. Add the coconut extract and cream and beat on low, until evenly incorporated.
  6. Toast the shredded coconut: Toast the shredded coconut in a pan over medium low, tossing regularly until golden brown all around. Set aside to cool.
  7. Assemble the cake: Start by placing a dab of the frosting onto the base of a cake stand. Flip one cake out of the pan onto the center of the cake stand. Top with a generous spoonful of frosting and spread into an even layer on the cake. Sprinkle with some of the toasted coconut flakes. Add the second cake over top of the frosting. Frost the top of the cake and the perimeter.
  8. Decorate: Use any remaining frosting to pipe decorations on the top of the cake, as desired. Sprinkle remaining toasted coconut on top or on the sides of the cake and garnish with maraschino cherries.

Equipment

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