This Pina Colada Cake turns your favourite tropical cocktail into one delicious dessert! Rum flavoured cake and frosting paired with pineapple filling and toasted coconut.
Happy Summer!! Ok, I know it’s not technically summer yet, but it sure as heck feels like it here this weekend. It’s a sweltering 35°C (95°F) here today.
I. Am. Melting.
Ok, I’m being overly dramatic, but that is a wee bit too warm for my liking, especially when there isn’t a nice outdoor pool or crystal clean water source nearby. I tend to get pretty grumpy when I’m too hot, as Ryan can attest – it’s not a pretty sight. I can’t even count (read: don’t wanna know) how many popsicles and ice cold beverages I’ve had in the past couple of days.
Anyhow, summer means tropical slushy drinks, but before I get into the details of this dreamy Pina Colada Cake, can we talk about how disgusting maraschino cherries are? Vile.
I apologize in advance if you are a maraschino cherry lover.
I’m not a fan {understatement}. I had to fish them out of this syrupy, sticky, stinky liquid and rinse them off before I could use them. Even after rinsing, they remained sticky and gross. I won’t deny the pop of color they add is perfect and pretty, but you’d have to pay me to actually eat one of these suckers (not a lot, but still).
Maraschino cherry rage aside, let’s talk about this Pina Colada cake! I love it. It tastes JUST like a Pina Colada, and I am not even kidding you. The perfect combo of pineapple, coconut, and, of course, rum.
I opted to put real rum (not rum extract) into both the cake and the frosting to kick it up a notch. You could use rum extract if you prefer, or if you only have that available. You could also use coconut milk instead of buttermilk, though I don’t know how much of a coconut flavour it would actually add. I put the rum in the cake, and the coconut in the layers as well as on the outside. To me, this flavour combination worked perfectly.
Really, you could customize this to your heart’s content, but I think this particular combo works really well and captures that true pina colada flavour.
If you like pina coladas (♫and getting caught in the rain♫), you will love this Pina Colada cake! Now if only I was on a tropical beach sipping an actual pina colada, life would be perfect.
Notes & tips for this Pina Colada Cake:
- You could try coconut milk instead of buttermilk, though I don’t know how much coconut flavour it will actually add.
- You could use rum extract if you prefer, or swap it for vanilla instead.
- Ideal if served same day, but will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my tips here.
Pina Colada Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 Tbsp rum or 1 tsp rum extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
Buttercream:
- 1/2 cup egg whites 3 large
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (cubed, room temperature)
- 2 tsp rum or 1 tsp rum extract
Pineapple Filling:
- 14 oz crushed pineapple 1 can
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Toasted Coconut:
- 200 g flaked coconut sweetened
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake rounds, line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
- Beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3mins).
- Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add rum.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition. Mix until just combined
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 30mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place bowl over a hot water bath on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins).
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth. Add rum and whip until smooth.**
Pineapple Filling:
- Place all ingredients into a medium saucepan, stir to combine. Heat over medium-high until thickened (1-2 mins). Cool completely before using on cake.
Toasted Coconut:
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a large sheet pan with parchment. Spread flaked coconut out evenly and bake for approx. 5 mins or until golden brown. Toss lightly part way through baking. Cool completely before using on cake.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake onto a serving plate or cake stand. Top with a thin layer of buttercream and pipe a dam around the outside using a large round tip to hold the filling. Place 2 Tbsp of pineapple filling inside the dam and spread evenly. Top with some toasted coconut. Repeat with next layer.
- Top with final layer of cake and crumb coat the entire cake (thin coat of frosting all over the cake). Chill for 30mins.
- Use the remaining frosting to cover the outside of the cake. Decorate the top with a swirl if desired (I used a large offset spatula to do this) and press the toasted coconut into the sides.
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Notes
Michelle says
Hi Olivia, this cakes looks so delicious. I want to make it for our Christmas dinner except I have two questions. I do not have an oven big enough for three cake pans, can I bake them one at a time? Second I only have those silicone cake molds, can I make the cake in them too?
And by making the buttercream you described this: Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
Place bowl over a hot water bath on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins).
Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth. Add rum and whip until smooth.**
Do you have to follow all these steps? I ask alot as a lot of times my cakes do not come out good. Hope to hear from you soon.
Olivia says
Hi Michelle! Ideally, you would bake them all at the same time. I haven’t experimented with leaving cake batter out for that long, I usually recommend baking them right away since the raising agent starts to get activated. If it’s all you can do, then I would just try it though. Maybe chill the remaining batter while it’s baking?
I also haven’t used silicone cake molds but imagine they should work ok — I would still grease and flour them.
And yes, you have to follow all the steps as described or the buttercream will not turn out.
Daniela says
Hi Olivia,
I made this cake to celebrate 3 birthdays, my husband’s included.
We all loved it!
Great recipe, thank you for sharing.
Olivia says
Hi Daniela! Thanks for the feedback, so glad everyone loved it! 🙂
Anisha says
Hi,
I’m going to make this for a friend’s birthday party and am a little nervous about trying a meringue buttercream for the first time. Think a regular American buttercream with rum as the flavoring would work too?
Olivia says
Hi Anisha! An American buttercream would work just fine, but I hope you try a Swiss meringue soon! Have a read through this post for tips and troubleshooting https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/
Rimple says
Hi.. I am thinking of making this cake for my friend birthday. I mostly bake cakes without frosting. Here in India , we are not big fan of egg frosting so I was thinking of changing it to whipped fresh cream mixed with little cream cheese to give it some structure or hold. Do u think it will work? I don’t have time to experiment it and one more thing .. can we used fresh coconut flakes ?
Olivia says
Hi Rimple! Yes, I think that will work fine though the cream cheese will affect the flavour. I think it will still be delicious. I’ve never used fresh coconut flakes myself so not sure if the moisture will affect the frosting? Will you still toast them?
David says
The conversion into standard measures used worldwide seems a bit odd as baking powder is not measured in ml. Is there a recipe that would be reproducible as volume measures used in the US do not produce reliable results.
Tanks
David
Olivia says
Hi David! Thanks for your feedback, I’ll let the developer of the conversion tool know.
isti says
hi! i really want to try this recipe looks so good. do i have to add rum in the cake?
Olivia says
Hi there! No, you can leave it out or use rum extract instead.
Lourdes says
Hi! This cake sound delicious, will make this for my fiance birthday party, my question is I can add coconut flakes unsweetened for better taste? Thank you
Olivia says
Hi Lourdes! Yes, you can use unsweetened if you prefer 🙂
Ling Chan says
My frosting is looking like cottage cheese…perhaps my butter was too cold? Not cut up in small enough cubes? Or did I not cool the merengue enough?
Olivia says
Hi Ling! Yes, I think your butter was too cold still. See this post for tips: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/
Danielle says
Did you use the pineapple in juice or the one in syrup?
Also I will make this with the actual rum in the future but for right now it can’t contain alcohol and I would prefer the layers to be coconut flavored, should I replace the rum with coconut extract/essence or the buttermilk with canned coconut milk or use both coconut extract/essence and coconut milk?
I think I also saw powdered coconut milk in the store, maybe a few tbs of that in place of some of the flour, keeping the buttermilk and using vanilla essence for the rum? (I don’t know, as I’m not sure how strong the coconut flavor is in any of those ingredients)
Olivia says
Hi Danielle! I used the one in the juice I think. If you want coconut cake layers, I highly recommend baking the ones from this recipe instead! https://livforcake.com/coconut-cake/
Monica says
Hi Olivia!
I am planning to make this cake for a 40 person party. I plan to stack 2-9×13 in cakes. Do you think 2 batches of the batter will be sufficient? Additionally, do you think it will hold up structurally given the moister of the cake?
Olivia says
Hi Monica! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html I’ve never made it in a stacked sheet cake so I don’t want to steer you wrong in terms of structure, but I would think it would work fine.
Tiffany Ng says
Hi! I made the cake and it was delicious! I just have one question, my cake layers came out very dense and very heavy. It felt like I was eating pound cake more than a cake. Is that the expected outcome with the recipie? Or did I do something wrong somewhere/how to fix it? Thankyou so much!
Olivia says
Hi Tiffany! Glad you liked it! The layers should not be dense or heavy — this can be caused by overmixing the cake batter, or by expired baking powder.
Afaq says
Thanks a lot for this great recipe. I baked this cake today for my family. It was great. They loved it. I doubled the recipe and baked it in 8 inches pan. I think even 9 inches will be fine. Really tasty. The toasted coconut was a great idea ❤️
Olivia says
So happy to hear everyone liked it!!
D'Vosha Brown says
Hello Ms. Olivia,
I was wondering if I wanted to make this recipe but for 3 8″ cake pans how long would I bake them for and at what temperature(F).Would it be best if I double the recipe? What type of rum did you use as well? I can’t wait to make this cake, looks so delicious.
Olivia says
Hi D’Vosha! I would double the recipe and bake them at the same temperature. Baking time should be relatively similar depending on the thickness of the layers. I used Appleton Estate rum. Let me know how it turns out!
Danielle schaffer says
Im making the buttercream icing and its still moist and lumpy its not smoothing iut what can i do to fix it
Olivia says
Hi Danielle! It sounds like your butter was maybe a bit too cold when you added it. Just keep whipping it and it should come together. If not, you can try gently heating the bowl over a double boiler or with a hair dryer.
Sonja says
Made this with a few changes.
I quadrupled the recipe to make a 6″, 8″, 10″, & 12″ cake. Torted each tier.
1st- Made a coconut swiss meringue buttercream using cream of coconut syrup.
2nd- Used Kraken dark spiced rum in the cake batter and made a simple syrup with the same rum to soak my cake layers.
The cake was AMAZING and SUPER moist! A HUGE hit!
Olivia says
Hi Sonja! Thanks for your tips! So glad you liked it 🙂
Sarah says
This cake looks wonderful Olivia. How far in advance can I make the cake, the frosting and the filling? I want to make it on Sunday for a party on Wednesday. Is that possible?
Olivia says
Hi Sarah! You can make all elements in advance and assemble the day before. I would double wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze — thaw for 2 hours before decorating. Make the frosting and refrigerate it. Bring it to room temp and rewhip before using. Refrigerate the filling and just give it a good stir before filling the cake. I hope that helps!
Jonilisa says
Your cake is beautiful! My question is did you drain the pineapple before adding?
Olivia says
Thank you! I did not drain the pineapple before cooking it. You need the liquid in there as part of the filling.
Rupamanjari says
Hello! This cake looks amazing!
I tried it today. For some reason I used half cake flour thinking it would result in a lighter texture and half APF. And somehow forgot about the cake in the oven. When I got back the cake was done, the oven switched itself off after the specified time.
I thought everything was fine but I realised the cake that had risen beautifully was now flat again! 🙁🙁 what could be the reason?
It tastes amazing and the texture is amazing too. Dry light and soft,
Olivia says
Hi Rupamanjari! Was your cake flour self-raising? That could definitely cause the cake to fall since there would be too much raising agent in the recipe.
Rupamanjari says
Wow thanks for the super quick reply!
No it wasn’t self raising. It was homemade. Was it because it got left in the oven after the oven switched itself off?
Olivia says
Likely that. Overbaking a cake can certainly cause it to shrink in size too.
Allison says
How did you get the coconut to stick on the side of the cake?
Making this for my friends 30th birthday 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Allison! It sticks easily to the frosting 🙂 I hope you like it!
Aya says
Hi can i add a teaspoon of coconut extract to the batter?
Olivia says
Hi Aya! Yes, coconut extract tends to be fairly strong though, so it might overpower the other flavours.
Elaine Vitek says
Oliva,
This cake makes me taste vacation just from reading the recipe! How many will the 6 inch feed? How can I alter the ingredients to make a larger cake if needed?
Olivia says
Hi Elaine! This cake should feed about 10-12 people. You can double the recipe and make it in three 8″ pans instead. Let me know how it turns out!
Elaine says
Thanks Olivia!
I can’t wait to make it and will let you know how it turns out!
Alyssa says
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Will I be able to place fondant over this came recipe? Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Alyssa! Yes, that should work just fine. I would recommend chilling the cake first so that the frosting is firm.
Bobbie Hudson Penick says
Wish you had info on the cake stand, fab!
Olivia says
Hi Bobbie! It’s actually a wood serving plate stacked on a bunch of rustic coasters (for real, lol). Here is a similar one that is actually a cake stand 🙂 http://amzn.to/2t4dLFn
marybeth says
can you please tell me baking time using 8 or 9 inch pans?
Olivia says
Hi Marybeth! Start checking them around 20mins. Note that the layers will be thinner in two 8″ pans and I would not recommend using two 9″.
Brooke says
Hey! Doubled the recipe and made a 3 layer cake using three 9in round cake pans. The layers are each 2-3in thick. I’m making it for a big crowd so decided to give it a whirl by doubling it and it turned out great! I can’t leave a comment and not say something about the cherry…I love em! Lol!! I recently made a 9×13 maraschino cherry cake. Bahahahahahahaha. Me and my 4 year old son are obsessed so we had it cleaned out in 2 days flat. Thanks for the recipe! It’s a keeper!
Olivia says
Hi Brooke! Lol, that is hilarious!! I think I probably just had too much of them as a kid in this Black Forest Cake my mom always used to get from the grocery store. I always felt like they took away from the cake, haha. I am glad you like them though and that this cake turned out for you!! 🙂
Bob says
I love your blog your recipes and pics all look so great! I am going to try this one today. I often make a pineapple coconut cake but I love the thought of adding rum and toasting the coconut. For more coconut flavor in the buttercream you can substitute about 1-2 T of coconut powder for the sugar. It is just dried coconut milk. It adds authentic coconut flavor to frosting.
Olivia says
Hi Bob! Thanks for the tip about the coconut powder! I don’t think you can substitute it for the sugar (the meringue base needs it), but adding it in for additional flavour is a great idea!!
Melissa says
Did you use white or spiced rum?
Olivia says
Hi Melissa! I used spices, but you can use any rum you like.
Kim says
Omg!! Really… this cake is so good. I’m so lucky to find this cake just before my son first birthday, im going to fill it with pineapple & cream and decorate it. Thanks a lot for the recipe😘
Olivia says
Hi Kim! I’m so glad you like it 🙂
Tonya says
Made the cake, for my birthday, its now on my list of favs! I would like to make again, but I want to make cupcakes, will this recipe work for cupcakes?
Thanks in advance
Olivia says
Hi Tonya! This recipe should work just fine for cupcakes. I’m glad you like it!
Sibgha says
Fort he filling, we need to geat only the pineapple or their syrup as well?
Olivia says
You use the syrup in the can as well.
Carol says
Hi Olivia,
What a wonderful cake. I made the Pina Colada Cake for a birthday. Everyone Loved it. Such a great recipe, not overly sweet and so flavorful.
I used Blue Chair Bay spiced coconut rum and I switched one layer to cherry, using Oregon Dark Sweet Cherries cooked to pie filling. The other layer I left pineapple.
Thanks so much!
Carol
Olivia says
Hi Carol! One layer as cherry sounds delicious!! I’m glad you liked this one 🙂
Ruchi says
Hi Olivia,
I decided to go for 2 8″ pans. The cake turned out spectacular! So moist… So delicious,
Thanks!
Olivia says
Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Ruchi says
Hi, Olivia,
This cake looks so good that I am planning to bake it for my husband’s birthday. One question though- I have 9″ pans. Will the quantities in the recipe be enough for one 9″ pan. I want to do cupcakes for kids ( sans rum) with the remainder.
Help with conversions will be much appreciated!
Thanks
Ruchi
Olivia says
Hi Ruchi! This recipe works for three 6″ pans or two 8″, so yes, it will work for one 9″ pan with some batter left over. Be sure not to fill the pan more than 2/3 full :). Let me know how it turns out!
Cindy says
Hi Liv, I’m i awe of your page!! Just a quick one.. can I use coconut milk instead of buttermilk? Or mix it half and half perhaps??
Olivia says
Hi Cindy! Thank you!! You should be able to swap coconut milk straight up and it *shouldn’t* have an impact on the texture. You could play it safe and go half and half though :). Let me know how it turns out!
Crystal says
It sounds so GOOD! One question though, how much baking powder are you using? 1 1/2 tsp or 5 1/2 tsp in the recipe?
Olivia says
Thanks Crystal! It’s 1 and 1/2. It was a spacing error in the recipe. I’ve update it, thanks for catching it! Let me know how you like the cake 🙂
Terry says
Thank you so very much for your SPEEDY REPLY!
YOU HAVE EARNED A NEW FOLLOWER BASED ON YOUR YUMMILICIOUS RECIPES
AND YOUR SPEEDY REPLIES !
GOTTA LUV LIV
Terry says
Hi Liv
I am making this for a BIBLE STUDY GROUP
Do you have any substitute suggestions
I can use in place of the rum?
Celebrating one of the girls birthdays and
it is a HAWAIIAN THEME.
THIS CAKE WILL BE PERFECT!
BUT WE HAVE RECOVERING ADDICTS
AND RECOVERY ALCOHOLICS
WOULD LIKE TO RESPECT THEM SO THEY CAN EAT CAKE. I WILL MAKE IT AT HOME
FOR MY FAMILY WITH THE RUM LOL
:*))))))
Olivia says
Hi Terry! You could use rum extract instead or replace it with vanilla :).
Ashley says
What type of rum did you use? Clear, spiced, coconut flavored? Thanks!
Olivia says
Ummm, I have NO idea what type. It was Appleton Estate Signature Blend :).
Ruth says
All of your cakes are so good.You are the best of the best.
Olivia says
You are so sweet, your comment made my day! Thank you Ruth! <3
Dana Wilson says
I freaking LOVE maraschino cherries! I buy them just to eat out of the jar. I would load that sucker down with them!!! LOL
Olivia says
Lol Dana!! You’re hilarious! Your comment totally made my morning 🙂
mia says
I love pina colados so the fact that this cake taste like one sounds amazing! and I am SO with you on the cherries.. YUCK!
Olivia says
Thanks Mia! I’m glad to have you on my maraschino-hating team! 🙂
Nancy says
I hope I don’t get banned from your email list… I like those sticky, smelly, odd colored gems!! I also like the chocolate cherry cordials! I make them at Christmas time. Anyway, this cake looks and sounds amazing! I can’t wait to make this recipe!
Olivia says
Lol! No banning here, I promise. I’m glad I didn’t offend you with my hatred of them! Haha. And thanks!! I hope you try this recipe 🙂
Melissa @ Now You're Cookin' says
Yum!! I made and posted a similar recipe for my friend’s birthday last month. So delicious. And maraschino cherries are gross. Haha
Olivia says
Haha, I’m glad you agree Melissa!! 🙂
Shinee says
Totally agree on weather thing. I think we’re safe to say, “Summer is here!” It’s been pretty hot here as well, but not nearly as hot as you have. And this cake sounds amazingly refreshing, and I want a slice. Pronto. 🙂
Olivia says
Thanks Shinee! Sending a virtual slice your way ;).
Rosemary says
Well you did it again, I find myself waiting anxiously for your next amazing cake and you never disappoint! And yes those maraschino cherries are horrible, my father actually loved them. I hope you manage to stay cool in beautiful Vancouver.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Rosemary!! Glad to have you on my maraschino cherry-hating team ;).
Elaine Magalhaes says
Hi Olivia, I would like to know about the cake you make, I noticed that in your vanilla cake some time you use all purpose flour and sometimes you use cake floor, why? What is the difference. Thanks Elaine
Olivia says
Hi Elaine! Cake flour makes cakes lighter and fluffier generally than regular all-purpose flour. I use cake flour, for example, if I have bananas in the recipe since they have a tendency to make it a bit more dense. Most often use all-purpose since it’s what I (and I assume my readers) have most readily available :).
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Girl, I’m NOT a maraschino cherry lover, but there’s no denying that color pop! Great use. Beautiful cake my dear, I need a slice asap. Stay cool if you can. This cake should help!
Olivia says
Yes, the maraschino cherry is a necessary evil ;). Thanks so much Allie!! xoxo
Maggie in Michigan says
okay seriously now when I signed up for this site I did NOT expect to receive weekly em’s with such disgustingly good looking desserts in them, are you in league with the sugar devil or what!
this thing looks incredible, abominable (sp?) and fabulous all at the same time….and I agree on those damn marsh cherries things, never understood them, serve no purpose whatever, they are a pretty color and that’s it, as far as eating them, no would not have one if it was the only food available, no no no no1
but this recipe, as my dear Jewish friend would say, Oy Vey!!
My word this looks soooooo wonderful, I think you can absorb 500 calories just looking at the picture and reading the recipe, gotta’ try this, just gotta! Kudos you dear sweet baking woman you!!!!!\And PS for whatever reason I never imagined Vancouver getting so very warm during spring/summer, it just be cuz you are near the Pacific right?
Olivia says
Lol! Hi Maggie! Reading through your comment initially got my heart racing — like who is this woman complaining about my weekly emails?! hahaha I certainly hope the delicious desserts make your Monday mornings better :).
As for Vancouver, it doesn’t usually get quite this hot… it’s often just mild and rainy, but we have our moments :).
Amanda | The Cinnamon Scrolls says
Omggg… I got disgusted just reading about your experience with maraschino cherries. *shudders* I can’t stand those things! On the bright side, it does look mighty pretty atop that spectacular cake! Sounds divine <3
Olivia says
Yes! I am glad you’re on my side with those suckers ;). For decoration ONLY. Thank you! <3
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Olivia this cake is gorgeous (as usual)! The filling, the rum in the buttercream, and the toasted coconut! I’m seriously in love!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Mary Ann! That means a lot coming from you! I hope you try it :).
Renee says
I LOVE every single thing about this cake, including the maraschino cherry!
Olivia says
Haha, thanks so much Renee!! <3 🙂