Piña Colada Cake Recipe

This piña colada cake brings sunshine to every slice. It’s inspired by the classic cocktail, with tropical flavours that are perfect for summer gatherings. Think soft coconut milk cake layers, tangy pineapple cream cheese filling, and creamy pineapple buttercream. It's easy to make and impossible to resist!

Make the piña colada cake layers

The cake layers for this piña colada cake are made with butter for richness and they're naturally flavoured with coconut milk. It's easiest to mix the batter using a stand or handheld mixer. Start by creaming butter and sugar together at medium speed until it's fluffy and lighter in colour. The butter should be at room temperature so that it mixes well with the sugar.

Switch to a lower speed and add the eggs. This Piña Colada cake recipe is at the end of this tutorial with a video showing how to make it. Add vanilla and coconut milk and when that's mixed in add the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt.

When everything is mixed together, divide the batter between three greased 8 inch pans and bake at 325F for . These cakes bake beautifully flat! But after the cakes cool, if you want to trim the tops with a serrated knife you'll have an even neater cross section when you slice the cake.

Make the pineapple buttercream

While the cake layers are cooling, make a batch of pineapple buttercream. Blend a 1.5 oz (43g) packet of freeze-dried pineapple into a fine powder. If you don’t have a food processor, use a Ziploc bag and a rolling pin. If you pound for long enough it works just as well!

To make the buttercream you'll need the butter to be at room temperature. I like to take mine out the night before I bake this cake so that it has plenty of time to soften. Sift your icing sugar or powdered sugar to remove any lumps. Mix them together on a low speed for about 4 minutes, until the buttercream is smooth. Pour the pineapple powder in and mix at a low speed - you don't want the powder to fly out of the mixer! Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream to thin out the buttercream so that it's easy to stir. You're looking for soft peaks when you pull your spatula out of the bowl.

See below for the recipe card where you can toggle between US and metric measurements!

Scoop out about a cup of the pineapple buttercream into a small bowl and stir in two tablespoons of cream cheese. This creates a creamy, tangy filling for your cake and balances the sweetness of the pineapple buttercream frosting.

Assemble the piña colada cake

Spread a dab of pineapple buttercream on the middle of your cake board to hold the first layer in place. When this buttercream sets it will attach the cake like glue! These cake layers bake flat so there’s no need to trim them. Any unevenness will be fixed by the buttercream filling and frosting.

Add half of the pineapple filling, spread evenly to cover the top of the cake layer, and press the second cake layer on top. Repeat with another layer of filling and top with your final coconut milk cake layer.

Crumb coat and frost

Chill your cake layers before frosting them so that they're firmer and less crumbly/ Then apply a thin crumb coat using half of your pineapple buttercream. This seals in crumbs and shapes the cake.

Chill again to set the crumb coat before applying your final layer with the rest of the buttercream. Smooth the top (I like to use an offset spatula or palette knife held at a 45 degree angle while spinning the cake) and then spread around the sides. Use a cake comb to scrape around the cake several times to smooth the frosting.

Decorate

To decorate this piña colada cake, press shredded coconut around the bottom to highlight that coconut flavour.

On the top I like to make a spiral swirl of texture using an offset spatula, pressing down on the outer edge and pulling it in to the middle as I spin the cake.

For a simple but stunning tropical decoration, use dried pineapple slices. They look just like flowers!

How to store and serve this piña colada cake

You can store this cake in the fridge for 2–3 days. It tastes best at room temperature, so take it out about 2 hours before serving to soften the cake and buttercream.

This Piña Colada cake recipe is one of my favourite summer bakes. It’s light, fruity, and its cocktail vibes are perfect for any summer occasion.

Sign up for my Free Course on 10 Buttercream Frosting Techniques to learn more ways to decorate cakes using buttercream!

You can also watch a video of how to make this Piña Colada Cake, coming soon!

Piña Colada Cake

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• Author: Emily
• Yield: a three-layer 8 inch cake 1x

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Description

This tropical summer cake is made with coconut milk layers and pineapple frosting. It's refreshing, fruity, and perfect for birthdays or beach parties!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the cake layers:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups plain flour (all-purpose)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the pineapple buttercream filling and frosting:

• 2 cups unsalted butter
• 6 cups powdered sugar (icing sugar)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1.5 oz freeze dried pineapple
• 1-2 tablespoons whole milk (full fat)
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (for decoration)
• about 2 oz dried pineapple (for decoration)

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Instructions

To make the cake layers:

1. Using an electric mixer (a stand mixer or handheld), beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add eggs two at a time, mixing on low speed to incorporate after each addition.
3. Add coconut milk and vanilla and mix at medium speed.
4. Add flour and baking powder and mix on the lowest speed until just combined.
5. Divide batter between three greased 6" cake pans and bake at 325F or 160C for 35 minutes or until cakes spring back up when poked in the middle.
6. Leave cakes in their pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely.

To make the coconut filling and frosting:

1. Mix butter and sugar together at low speed for 4 minutes, until smooth. Add vanilla and salt and mix to combine.
2. Blend freeze-dried pineapple in a blender or food processor to make a powder. Mix the powder into the buttercream.
3. Scoop 1 cup of the pineapple buttercream into a small bowl and stir the cream cheese into it. This will be your filling.
4. To the rest of the pineapple buttercream add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the buttercream is the consistency of peanut butter or stiff whipped cream. This will be your frosting.

To put the cake together:

1. Spread a bit of buttercream onto the middle of a cake board or flat plate or platter. Press the first cake layer onto the buttercream to secure it in place.
2. Spread half of the pineapple cream cheese buttercream to cover the top of the cake layer and then place the next cake layer on top. Spread the rest of the pineapple cream cheese buttercream on top and then add the final cake layer. If you have time, put the cake into the fridge for 30 minutes or the freezer for 15 minutes before frosting it.
3. Spread half of the pineapple buttercream to cover the cake with a crumb coat. Smooth with a cake comb or offset spatula. Let this set in the fridge or freezer for 15-30 minutes and then repeat with a final layer of pineapple buttercream.
4. To add texture onto the top of the cake, press the tip of your offset spatula down on the edge of the top of the cake and as you spin the cake, spiral inwards to the middle.
5. Place the cake on a tray and pour shredded coconut around the bottom. Press this into the bottom of the cake using your hands or a spoon or an offset spatula. Optionally, press dried pineapple 'flowers' into the top of the cake to decorate.
6. Serve this cake at room temperature. You can refrigerate it for 2-3 days but take it out of the fridge at least 2 hours before serving.

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