This Pina Colada Cake turns your favorite tropical cocktail into one delicious dessert! Coconut rum flavored cake and frosting paired with pineapple filling and toasted coconut.
What better time for a tropical cake than in the dead of winter. It’s actually sunny here today and for most of this week which is a welcome relief from all the rain we’ve had so far this winter.
If you’re deep in the winter doldrums, I’ve got a major pick me up for you with this tropical Pina Colada Cake!
This was actually one of my oldest recipes (from June 2016), but I’ve completely revamped the recipe and photos to give you a new and improved version.
Maraschino Cherries
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, I am not even kidding you. The perfect combo of pineapple, coconut, and of course, rum.
How to Make a Pina Colada Cake
A Pina Colada is a sweet cocktail consisting of:
- Coconut milk (or cream)
- Pineapple juice
- Rum
Usually blended with ice for a slushy treat. It’s often garnished with a wedge of pineapple and/or a maraschino cherry.
It’s delicious!
My version of Pina Colada in cake form consists of:
- Coconut rum flavoured cake layers
- A rum simple syrup
- Crushed pineapple filling
- Coconut rum frosting
I used my Coconut Cake recipe for the cake layers and added rum extract to it.
Those of you that know me know I don’t like to use extracts. I find them to taste artificial. Well, I have to say that I am officially obsessed with the rum extract from Lorann Oils!
I didn’t really know what to expect when I bought this but I wasn’t satisfied with using actual rum in the cake batter (in my previous recipe) so I wanted to give it a go.
I don’t know what it is but it is SO good and gave me major childhood flashbacks. I think my mom must have used rum extract in the cakes she baked for us when I was little because it’s a flavor that took me right back.
I highly recommend the rum extract from Lorann Oils but if you’re a purist and would prefer to use actual rum I talk about that in the tips section below.
I made a rum simple syrup to brush onto the cake layers and used actual rum for this. It gives the cake a major kick which I think you need to make it a true Pina Colada.
I like to trim the top of my cake layers just slightly to allow the syrup to penetrate the cake layers. My cakes always bake up nice and flat so I don’t usually trim them, but when I’m using a syrup I like to take off that upper crust so the syrup can soak in better.
I just brush it on (generously) with a pastry brush, but you could use a squeeze bottle or even drizzle it with a spoon.
Pineapple Filling
This is the only thing I kept the same from my original recipe. It’s a super simple filling made with a can of crushed pineapple, some sugar, and cornstarch. Simply combine and cook until it thickens.
When using a softer filling in a cake it’s important to use a buttercream dam around the outside to hold it in otherwise it will come out the sides and just be a huge mess. I like to put a thin layer of frosting down on the cake layer first and then pipe a dam with a large round tip like a 1A.
Then simply spoon in the filling and spread it around.
For decorating the cake I kept things simple. Mainly because I ran out of frosting (oops).
I was going to use a cake comb for the sides but I didn’t have enough to make the frosting thick enough on the sides. Oh well! Rustic spatula swirl it is.
I think it looks simple and pretty and the cake already has a lot going on with it with the coconut flakes along the bottom and the garnish on top.
The top is decorated with some buttercream rosettes, pineapple wedges, maraschino cherries, and toasted coconut.
Tip: Place the 6 pineapple wedges evenly spaced on the top of the cake first, it’s easier to move them around, then pipe the dollops between them.
If you’re looking for something with a bit more of a wow factor you could make dried pineapple flowers for the outside. You can see how pretty they are in my Pineapple Cake.
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.
Tips for this Pina Colada Cake:
- Converting the recipe:
- The recipe as-is will also work in two 8″ pans. For three 8″ pans, 1.5x the recipe.
- To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so.
- Can I make it in advance?
- The cooled cake layers can be baked ahead of time, double wrapped in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
- The frosting can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 1 week for frozen for 3 months. Bring to room temp and rewhip before using.
- The pineapple filling can be refrigerated for up to a week.
- How do I store it?
- The finished cake can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days, after that it will start to dry out. It can also be frozen. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- If you’d prefer to use real rum in the cake batter then use 3/4 cup coconut milk and 1/4 cup rum. Mix them together before adding them to the cake. Leave out the rum emulsion.
- If you want to make the simple syrup kid-friendly use 1 tsp rum extract instead of rum.
- You will have some pineapple filling left over. If you can find an 8 oz can of crushed pineapple you can halve the recipe and use that instead.
- You will have some rum simple syrup left over. You can store this in the fridge and use this in cocktails, coffee, iced drinks, etc.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my How to Bake Flat Cake Layers post!
Pina Colada Cake
Ingredients
Coconut Rum Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp rum emulsion or 1 tsp rum extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup coconut milk canned, room temperature
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut sweetened
Rum Simple Syrup:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup rum or 1 tsp rum extract
Coconut Rum Buttercream:
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
- 3-4 Tbsp coconut milk powder
- 1/4 tsp rum emulsion or rum extract, optional
Pineapple Filling:
- 1 can crushed pineapple 14-15oz
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Assembly:
- coconut flakes toasted
- shredded coconut toasted
- maraschino cherries
- pineapple wedges
Instructions
Coconut Rum 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 vanilla and rum emulsion.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and coconut milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition. Mix until just combined. Fold in shredded coconut.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 30-35 mins 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.
Rum Simple Syrup:
- Place sugar and water into a pot over med-high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and cook until mixture boils. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in rum (or rum extract/emulsion). Cool before use.
Coconut Rum Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place bowl over a pot with 1-2" of simmering water and stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (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 coconut milk powder one Tbsp at a time and whip until smooth.**
Pineapple Filling:
- Place all ingredients into a medium saucepan, stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook 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:
- Trim the top crust off of each layer of cake. Dip a pastry brush into the rum simple syrup and brush each layer generously (about 2-3 Tbsp per cake layer).****
- 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 1/3 cup of pineapple filling inside the dam and spread evenly. 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 frost the cake and do a rustic swirl on the sides and top with a large offset spatula if desired. Press large coconut flakes along the bottom of the cake.
- Space 6 pineapple wedges evenly around the top of the cake. Pipe rosette dollops in between them using a 1M tip. Top each dollop with a maraschino cherry. Fill in the center with toasted shredded coconut if desired.
Notes
** The buttercream may look like it’s curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth. See this post for a detailed tutorial.
*** You will have some pineapple filling left over. If you can find an 8 oz can of crushed pineapple you can halve the recipe and use that instead.
**** You will have some rum simple syrup left over. You can store this in the fridge and use this in cocktails, coffee, iced drinks, etc.
Originally published June 5, 2016
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.