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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
Make sure to chill your cans of coconut milk the day before to help separate the cream from the water.
eggs cracking into a bowl
Prep your baking pan with parchment paper and nonstick spray.
milk pouring into a bowl
Add all cake ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until a consistent batter forms.
pineapple chunks in a bowl of cake batter
Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 350°F until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Typically around 25 minutes.
pina colada cake batter pouring into a pan
Make the simple syrup by combining boiling water, sugar, and rum. Poke holes in the cake and brush generously with the syrup.
a pina colada cake
Toast the shredded coconut until toasty and golden brown.
a pina colada cake with whipped coconut cream on top
Add the solids from the chilled coconut milk cans into a bowl, being super careful not to add any of the coconut water. Beat until peaks form before beating in the powdered sugar. Check out this whipped coconut recipe for more details.
a pina colada cake on a platter
Flip the cake on a stand or plate, top with the whipped cream, toasted coconut, and any other desired toppings (cherries, dried pineapple, lime zest, etc.).

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:

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 tbsp rum

For the Frosting:

  • 2 cans coconut milk, chilled overnight
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Toppings: (optional)

Instructions

  1. The day before: Place your cans of coconut milk in the fridge. I like to put a couple extra cans in there, just in case one of the cans doesn’t have enough cream (this happens rarely).
  2. Prep oven & cake pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 10 inch round baking pan with parchment paper to prevent any sticking.
  3. 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. 
  4. Bake the cake: Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan, banging it a few times on the counter to level out. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Mine took 26 minutes, so just keep an eye on it once it hits the 25 minute mark. Pull from the oven and let cool.
  5. Prep the simple syrup: While the cake cooks and cools, bring the water to a boil before pouring into a bowl with the sugar and rum. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and set aside. Use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes all over the cake before brushing generously with simple syrup. 
  6. Toast the shredded coconut: Toast the shredded coconut in a pan over medium low, tossing regularly until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
  7. Prep the frosting: Scoop out the solid parts of the coconut milk, making sure to leave all water in the can. Place the cream into a clean mixing bowl and beat on medium speed just until it turns fluffy and creamy like whipped cream. Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat just until incorporated. Chill in the fridge until ready to use.
  8. Assemble the cake: Flip the cake out of the pan onto the center of a cake stand. Top with the whipped cream, spreading into an even layer on the cake. Sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top and garnish with dried pineapple and maraschino cherries, if desired.

Equipment

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