I'm sharing my golden pineapple pound cake as part of the 2020 Juneteenth Cookout Takeover. This initiative was established to encourage the celebration of Juneteenth--a jubilee of freedom to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S.--and to amplify the food traditions of Black culinary creatives. Juneteenth (a merge of the words/date June Nineteenth) marks the date in 1865 that news of the end of slavery reach enslaved people in Texas...more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. In the 150+ years since, Black American families have commemorated this summer holiday with food traditions that tell a story of the perseverance of our people. Get into this pineapple pound cake recipe then check out 10 other recipes from the takeover right after (click here for the full lineup)!
Summer is officially upon us. If you live in any part of Texas that means tropical temperatures and hurricane threats without the white, sandy beaches to make up for it. You probably think I'm touched for heating up my oven in this kind of climate but this sweet tea pound cake got my wheels turning and I've been inspired to make a dessert that is reflective of our current weather situation: southern with a touch of tropical. This golden pineapple pound cake doesn't take much more effort than the traditional pound cake my Grandma taught me how to make and you'll find that the flavor is much sweeter and less overwhelming than a hot, humid Texas day.
What is a Pound Cake?
Pound cake is a southern staple called such because of the weight of the main ingredients needed to make it. One pound each of eggs, butter, sugar, and flour. Easy to remember, right? And this golden pineapple pound cake makes a great cookout contribution. That is, if you can make it out of your house without sampling it. If you were to show up with a slice or two missing, I highly doubt anybody would blame you. it's just that good.
I try to channel my Grandma whenever I make my golden pineapple pound cake because she was the pound cake queen in our family. She had pound cake (and all baking really) down to a science and I really miss all the knowledge and stories she shared with me over the years. One of these days, I'll introduce y'all to her classic pound cake recipe. For now, I'm enjoying this pineapple pound cake and imagining the blast of my air conditioner is a cool breeze on the shores of a Hawaiian beach. 🙂
Notes on this Pineapple Pound Cake
- My biggest piece of advice is to fully drain the crushed pineapple. You don't want to add any extra juice to this pineapple pound cake batter because it will result in a gummy texture.
- Make sure you let the cake cool fully before pouring on the frosting, otherwise, it will melt all down the sides. Not cute.
I wish you an enjoyable Juneteenth weekend--whether your employer has finally recognized this holiday or you have taken the day off for yourself (like me). Also, sharing is caring so be sure to pin this recipe on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Golden Pineapple Pound Cake
Ingredients
Golden Pineapple Pound Cake
- 1 pound butter softened to room temperature
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 10-ounce can crushed pineapple drained
Vanilla Frosting
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt or tube (angel food cake) pan and set aside.
- Cream butter with a mixer until it is smooth and turns a slightly lighter shade of yellow. Add in eggs, sugar, extracts, and milk and continue mixing until uniform.
- In another bowl, mix flour, ginger, and sea salt. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and beat until uniform and smooth. Add drained pineapple to bowl and stir in by hand to incorporate and ensure no dry pockets remain in the batter.
- Transfer batter into prepared pan. Bake on middle rack of oven for about an hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into multiple sections of the cake comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, to make the frosting, beat powdered sugar and butter together. Add in vanilla extract and milk and continue mixing until fluffy and smooth. Frosting should be thick but not stiff.
- Remove cake from pan. Cool completely then spoon frosting over top and allow to drip down sides of cake.
Notes
2020 Juneteenth Cookout Takeover Lineup
- Honey Jerk Shrimp from Dish it with Tisha
- Blackberry Ginger Soda from DMR Fine Foods
- Pound Cake from Dom N the City
- Easy Berry Fruit Salad from Domestic Dee
- Instapot Cajun White Beans from Dude that Cookz
- Nigerian Beef Suya from Food Fidelity
- Smothered Okra with Chicken & Smoked Sausage from Food is Love Made Edible
- Braised Cabbage Johnny Cakes from FoodLoveTog
Shayne says
I made this before and it turned out great! It's a very dense cake, again it was great1 But I did have a quick question, could you substitute all purpose flour with cake flour?
Jazzmine Woodard says
Hi, Shayne! Glad to hear you enjoyed the cake. I have not tested this recipe with cake flour, but generally speaking, you can use cake flour in a pound cake recipe like this one if you want a softer texture. It will not be as dense as with all-purpose flour due to the lower protein content. Hope this is helpful!
Deanna L says
Hi...I have a question...is it possible to puree the crushed pineapple? I'm one of those people who doesn't fully enjoy chunks of fruit in certain baked goods.
Jazz says
Hi Deanna! The crushed pineapple pieces come out quite small and separated in the cake so you won't get large chunks but you are welcome to puree it instead. I must note that I haven't tested this recipe with pureed pineapple so I can't guarantee it will come out exactly the same.
Al says
Hi!!!! Can you use pineapple extract in place of the almond extract?
Jazz says
Hi, Al! You can certainly dial up the pineapple flavor with pineapple extract. I have not tried this swap before so can't speak to the outcome.
nikhita sharma says
this looks amazing!! i am looking forward to trying it out..
can anyone help me out with the amount of crushed pineapple ? we get only pineapple rings and i can weigh them out and chop em up...
Jazz says
Hi, Nikhita! You can just used 10 ounces of pineapple rings and crush them with a fork. Hope this helps.
Kimberly Pleasant says
Can I eliminate the ginger and sub the sea salt?
Jazz says
Hi, Kimberly! You can certainly eliminate the ginger and use a different kind of salt. Just bear in mind that the flavor will be slightly different.
Vallery says
That drizzle is making me hungry. Would love to try this!
Erika says
A perfect combination with the pineapple! The fruit makes it more moist which I LOVE!
Armelle Dee says
I baked this yesterday with my kids! It was flavorful, we decided to try it with some puree peaches next. We did not make the glaze. We ate it plain with a cup of tea. Thanks so much for sharing this amazing treat.