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Pineapple Coconut Upside Down Cake Recipe

This pineapple coconut upside down cake 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!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 549 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: North American

Ingredients

  • 1 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ ½ cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons for the cake pans
  • 2 2 14-ounce cans pineapple rounds reserve the juice
  • 2 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 2 large eggs
  • 1 1 cup canned crushed pineapple
  • ½ ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 ½ 1 ½ tablespoons dark rum optional
  • 1 1 cup Chopped Pecans
  • ½ ½ cup fine shredded coconut
  • 1 1 cup large flaked coconut
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • ½ ½ cup butter at room temperature
  • ½ ½ cup cream cheese at room temperature
  • 2 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 3 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
  • ⅛ ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.)
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.

Notes

  • If you'd like a little more color on the top of your cake simply place one of the cakes on a baking tray and broil it for a few minutes in the oven until it starts to brown slightly on top.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 slice (of 12) Calories 549kcal (27%) Carbohydrates 53g (18%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 36g (55%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g Monounsaturated Fat 13g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 65mg (22%) Sodium 308mg (13%) Potassium 190mg (5%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 33g (66%) Vitamin A 470IU (9%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 75mg (8%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 549

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 slice (of 12)
Calories 549kcal 27%
Carbohydrates 53g 18%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 36g 55%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Monounsaturated Fat 13g 65%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 65mg 22%
Sodium 308mg 13%
Potassium 190mg 4%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 33g 66%
Vitamin A 470IU 9%
Vitamin C 3mg 3%
Calcium 75mg 8%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.