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Pineapple Pudding Cake: a white cake topped with a delicious pineapple pudding filling and finished with a maraschino cherry. All the tropical flavors in one simple dessert.

This pineapple pudding cake is light, fluffy, and easy to make! It has all the delicious tropical flavors summer brings in one simple dessert. To make things even faster I use a white cake mix. It’s a yummy dish to pass around at family gatherings, potlucks, and summer BBQs. You can even make this a day ahead of your party to save time. I actually prefer the taste of the cake after it has been in the refrigerator for a few hours. It really allows the flavors to blend perfectly.

The pineapple pudding cake recipe is one that even those who dislike cake will love! The creamy texture and simple ingredients give it just the right amount of flavor to satisfy your cravings. It’s essentially a white cake topped with pudding frosting, crushed pineapples, and some cool whip. Of course, there are other ingredients, but that’s the gist of it.

For the Cake:

1 box of White or Yellow Cake Mix
1 1/4 cups of water
1/3 cup of oil
3 Egg Whites

For the Whipped Cream Pudding Topping:

1 small pkg Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
2 cups cold milk
1 large can of crushed pineapple drained well
1 container of Cool Whip
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1 jar of maraschino cherries

The maraschino cherries make a fun decorative piece for the pineapple pudding cake recipe and kids love them!

Baking the Pineapple Pudding Cake

Like most of my recipes, this cake recipe is easy to put together. Kids will enjoy helping with the process and eating the fruits of their labor later. I bake my cake in a rectangle 9 x 13 cake pan and put the topping over the whole cake, but you can also use 12 inch round cake pans for multiple layers.

First, you will want to bake your cake according to the package directions if the ingredients are different than the ones I listed. Some box mixes require fewer eggs.
While your cake is baking mix together your pudding and milk in a large bowl and let it sit until it is firm.
Slowly add your crushed pineapple chunks. Make sure the pineapple juice has been drained well. Add a small amount at a time to the pudding mixture making sure your filling doesn’t become too “liquidy.” Store your filling in the refrigerator until it’s time to layer the cake.
Once your cake has baked, allow it to cool completely before adding the pineapple layer.
Top with Cool Whip, walnuts, and maraschino cherries for a pretty finish on top of the cake.

This pineapple cake is a great dessert in the warmer months. Use it at church events, parties, celebrations, or just because you have a sweet tooth. It’s one of our family favorites and I’m sure it will be added to your list as well!

I recommend refrigerating the cake for a few hours before serving to really let the flavors blend together and distribute throughout the cake. It also keeps the pineapple slices or chunks nice and refreshing instead of mushy.

What Type of Pudding Mix Should I Use?

You can use sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix or the kind with sugar added. Either work great, just choose based on how much sugar you want to be included. Make sure the pudding you choose is an INSTANT pudding mix. The sugar-free may not provide quite as much flavor but mixing it with the other ingredients will help.

How to Store the Pineapple Pudding Cake

After making your pineapple cake, store it on the countertop at room temperature for about 3 to 4 days. I like to refrigerate this cake because I prefer to eat it cold, especially in the summer. If you want to hang onto the cake longer, freeze the cake by wrapping it in plastic wrap. I recommend setting the topping aside and making it the day of as it won’t freeze quite as well. Just frost the portion you are eating on the day and frost the rest later.

You may also hear this delicious cake referred to as a pineapple sunshine cake, pineapple poke cake, or crushed pineapple cake. It’s one of those easy recipes you can pull out any time of year. We enjoy it most as a summer cake, but it can easily be enjoyed in the cold months of winter. Enjoy the refreshing pineapple flavor as you enjoy one of your new favorite cakes.

For another great summer dessert or more fun treats, check out these recipes as well.

Photos by The PkP Way