Pineapple Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients

My easy pineapple dump cake with 3 ingredients recipe is great because it has just a few ingredients:

Crushed Pineapple – 2, 20 oz cans, drained

Cake Mix – 1 15.25 oz box white cake mix

Butter – 2 sticks unsalted butter

Optional:

Lemon Juice – 1 Tablespoon

Tools:

9×13 Baking Dish – If you don’t have this large of a baking dish, you can use two 8×8 pans, too.

Spatula – To spread out the crushed pineapple in the baking dish.

Fork – For smoothing out the cake mix, I recommend a fork.

Spoon – Scooping out the last bit of pineapple from the can will probably be easier with a spoon.

Can I Use Pineapple Chunks, Tidbits, or Rings?

Yes. Although I think the texture of crushed pineapple would be best for this recipe, you can use pineapple chunks, tidbits, or rings, too: use a total of 40 oz of canned pineapple, whichever type you prefer. If using rings, cut them into smaller pieces so they are small pieces of pineapple in every bite.

How to Make Pineapple Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients

Learning how to make pineapple dump cake with 3 ingredients is easy. Just follow these simple steps:

Grease the Pan

Don’t forget to grease the pan before you start the recipe. You could use a non-stick spray, but I just opened one of the sticks of butter and rubbed it on the inside of the baking dish.

Put the Butter Back in the Refrigerator

After greasing the pan, be sure to put the rest of the butter back in the refrigerator. You’ll need to cut it into thin pads later on in the recipe, and this is much easier to do when the butter is cold.

Drain the Canned Crushed Pineapple

I drained 2/3 cup of juice out of each can. Although the pineapple was drained thoroughly, there was still a bit of juice left in each can, maybe about 2 Tablespoons. If you try to get 100% of the juice out of the pineapple, your filling will be dry, so don’t overdo it.

Dump the Crushed Pineapple into the Pan

Next, as the name of the recipe suggests, “dump” the crushed pineapple into the baking dish and then spread it out evenly with a spatula or spoon. Do the best you can–I doesn’t have to be perfect.

Add Lemon Juice (If Using)

Although this is optional, I highly suggest sprinkling in 1 Tablespoon of freshly-squeezed lemon juice over the crushed pineapple and then gently mixing it into the fruit. The lemon juice will really help bring out the flavor, helping make the canned pineapple taste like fresh.

Dump in the White Cake Mix

Once you’re done with the filling, “dump” in the white cake mix by shaking the bag as you move it slowly across the top. Don’t worry about getting it distributed evenly–you’ll do that in the next step.

Smooth Out the Cake Mix

Then, take a fork and smooth out the cake mix, breaking up any lumps as you distribute the cake mix evenly across the top. Remember to NOT MIX–simply spread the raw cake mix across the top of the crushed pineapple.

Cut the Butter into Thin Slices and Lay Them On Top of the Cake Mix

Use a sharp knife to cut the butter into thin slices, about 4-6 slices per Tablespoon. This is much easier if the butter is cold, so be sure to keep the butter in the refrigerator until you get to this step.

As you cut the butter, lay the slices on top of the cake mix, placing them 1/8 to 1/4-inch apart–basically almost touching, but not quite. The idea is for the butter to melt down and spread out as the dump cake bakes in the oven, turning the raw cake mix into buttery, crunchy crumble.

Bake the Dump Cake

Once your pineapple dump cake with 3 ingredients is assembled, bake it at 350F, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Serve

Let the dump cake cool at least 10-15 minutes before serving, at least 30 if you want the slices to hold their shape, then enjoy!

Pineapple Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients FAQ’s

Although learning how you make pineapple dump cake with 3 ingredients is easy, here are answers to some frequently asked questions to make sure you can enjoy the best dessert possible.

How Many Servings Does this Recipe Make?

This recipe makes about 12-16 servings that are large enough for a satisfying dessert after a normal meal.

What to Serve with Pineapple Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients?

Although my pineapple dump cake with 3 ingredients is delicious on its own, it’s also great served with vanilla ice cream, Cool Whip, or whipped cream. If you want something especially tasty, make my easy homemade whipped cream recipe for a special treat.

How Long To Bake Pineapple Dump Cake? *

Bake pineapple dump cake for 60 minutes at 350F, uncovered. If your oven is hotter / cooler than normal or if your filling has more / less juice than mine did, baking time may vary, so check the dump cake at the 45-minute mark.

How Long Does Pineapple Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients Last?

Your pineapple dump cake with 3 ingredients should last 2-3 in the refrigerator. Although it will likely be safe to eat for longer, the moisture in your refrigerator will start making the topping unpleasantly soggy.

Pineapple Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients Recipe Variations

If you’re looking for ways to build on this base recipe, be sure to try:

Pineapple Cherry Dump Cake – Paula Deen’s recipe from Grandma Peg combines replaces one of the cans of pineapple with cherry pie filling to make an amazing dessert.

Add Coconut and Nuts – This Food.com recipe calls for adding flaked coconut and chopped nuts. I’ve never tried it, but I think the flavor and texture would be delicious. For the nuts, I think both chopped walnuts or peanuts would be delicious, whichever you prefer.

More Pineapple Recipes

If you agree that pineapple is delicious, especially in desserts, then don’t miss my other recipes:

Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Crushed Pineapple – Cake mix makes this class dessert easy.

Pineapple Pie Recipe – This double-crust, old-fashioned pie is one of my favorites. Definitely worth a try!

Pineapple Coconut Cake with Cake Mix – Cream cheese frosting and pineapple filling make this amazing.

More 3-Ingredient Dump Cake Recipes

3-ingredient cobblers are great recipes for beginner cooks, so be sure to check out these as well:

Pumpkin Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients – This easy dessert is perfect for fall, especially Thanksgiving.

Cherry Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients – Bright red filling and golden brown topping are great together.

3 Ingredient Apple Dump Cake – This cobbler is even better with the addition of lemon juice and spices.

3-Ingredient Key Lime Dump Cake – Canned pie filling makes this citrus-packed dessert nice and easy.

Pineapple Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients Recipe Instructions

YouTube Video

Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial, too:

The post Pineapple Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients appeared first on ParnellTheChef.

Pineapple and Coconut: Two Southern Ingredients

From tropical smoothies to piña coladas, pineapple and coconut are found in many recipes. Although neither pineapple nor coconut grows well in the southern United States (except South Florida), both can be found in many southern recipes. Let’s examine how these ingredients became so common in southern cooking.

Pineapple

Pineapple, especially canned pineapple, was incorporated into southern cooking because of the proximity of pineapple plantations in Central America to southern ports. Canned pineapple was unloaded from ships in the South, so it was very plentiful. Chefs fell in love with this easy-to-use and flavorful ingredient, so it found its way into many traditional recipes, such as pineapple upside down cake, among others.

Coconut

Once again, geography played a part in the history of coconut cake in the South. Coconut cakes were baked in New Orleans and Charleston as far back as the early 1800’s, but it wasn’t until commercially shredded and dried coconut became available in the late 1800’s that coconut cakes and coconut as an ingredient became widespread.

Nowadays, shredded coconut is found in not only coconut cake itself, but also an extra ingredient in many cakes like carrot cake, Italian cream cake, and Hummingbird cake. In fact, it would be hard for many southerners to imagine Christmas without a snow-white coconut layer cake on their holiday table.

Pineapple and Coconut in a Cake

If pineapple and coconut are delicious on their own, they should be even better together. The tangy, juicy pineapple complements the fatty, dry coconut, and since they’re both sweet, they together in perfect harmony.

This pineapple coconut cake recipe with cake mix and cream cheese frosting recipe is my attempt to improve an old fashioned dessert. By adding a filling made from fresh or frozen pineapple–not canned–this cake is better than ever.

Pineapple Coconut Cake Ingredients

As you can see, this recipe calls for just a few, easy-to-find ingredients. Let’s break down what you’ll need for the cake itself and then the filling:

White Cake Mix – Plain white cake mix is a good neutral canvas, but yellow will work, too.

Crushed Pineapple – As previously stated, it’s in many southern cakes. It’s a quick and easy way to add flavor to the cake layers without cutting up a fresh pineapple.

Orange Jell-O – It sounds odd, but orange and pineapple go together very well.

Shredded Coconut – This is the easiest way to add actual coconut to the cake.

Toasted Coconut – I decorated the sides of the cake with another 1/2 cup shredded coconut. I toasted it, but that’s not necessary.

Sour Cream – It not only adds fat and moisture, but also creates an acidic environment to help make the cake light and fluffy.

Coconut Extract – Another good way to add coconut flavor without having to crack open actual coconuts.

Canola Oil – You can use vegetable oil, but I think canola oil has a more neutral flavor.

Eggs – If you want to make this vegan, I’m sure you could replace the eggs with applesauce.

Fresh Pineapple – I used 2/3 cup fresh pineapple to decorate the top of the cake.

Pineapple Filling Ingredients

Honestly, I think what really makes this cake delicious is the pineapple filling. I made it a bit differently than most other southern cooks, but I think my way is better. Surprisingly, there are just a few ingredients:

Fresh or Frozen Pineapple – Canned is nowhere near as flavorful as fresh or frozen fruit.

White Sugar – Although brown sugar is usually used with pineapple, I wanted my filling to be bright yellow, not muddy brown.

Cornstarch – My go-to thickener. Remember to make a slurry when adding to hot liquids.

Why Use Fresh or Frozen Pineapple And Not Canned?

While researching the filling for this cake, I realized that all the other recipes online called for canned pineapple. As demonstrated in my pineapple upside down cake with cake mix recipe, fresh pineapple is a lot more flavorful than canned; honestly, it’s almost like a different fruit.

Using canned pineapple in the layers is fine, but for the filling, I knew that using fresh or frozen pineapple would put this cake over the top. Even though it’s a bit more work, it’s 100% totally worth it.

Once you have all your ingredients, it’s time to make the cake!

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

As usual, I used my easy cream cheese frosting without butter recipe to frost this cake. Since there is no butter, so it’s a lot lower in calories, and the tangy flavor of the cream cheese comes through a lot stronger, too. For the frosting, you’ll need:

Cream Cheese – Softened, room temperature.

Powdered Sugar – A full pound, 454 grams.

Vanilla Extract – Just 1/2 teaspoon.

Salt – A pinch of salt contrasts sweetness and brings out flavors, so don’t be afraid to add it.

Even though I didn’t put any frosting in the middle of the cake, I didn’t adjust the recipe: I just put a bit more frosting on the outside and on top. I guess you could cut the recipe in half, but honestly, more cream cheese frosting never hurt anyone, haha!

How to Make Pineapple Coconut Cake Recipe with Cake Mix

Although my pineapple coconut cake recipe is easy, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you follow my recommendations, you cake will turn out great.

Making the Cake Layers

Making the pineapple coconut cake itself is easy: just mix all the ingredients in a bowl. I used a hand held electric mixer, but you can mix the cake by hand, too. Even if the directions on the box of cake mix say to mix for 2 minutes, just mix until everything is thoroughly combined: you don’t want to overmix the batter.

Once the batter is ready, pour it into prepared 8-inch cake pans and bake at 325F. While the cake layers are baking, get the ingredients you’ll need for the pineapple filling.

Making the Pineapple Filling

As I said earlier, the pineapple filling is what really makes this cake special. Even though it would be more work, I knew I wanted to use fresh pineapple. Since I only found filling recipes with canned fruit, I used the pineapple sauce for ham recipe I invented as a starting point.

Once I pulled the cake pans out of the oven, I started on the filling. It only took about 20 minutes of cooking, so it was pretty quick and easy: just remember to make a cornstarch slurry at the end.

Honestly, the pineapple filling is was amazing. With fresh pineapple, the filling was incredibly flavorful–at the time, I thought it was perfect. In light of inventing my pineapple pie recipe, I’m now curious how adding a bit of lemon juice and zest would affect the filling: that might bring out the flavor even more.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Although warm pineapple filling would probably soak into the cake a bit and make it very moist and flavorful, I was afraid it would be runny and come out the sides. So, while I waited for the filling to cool off, I made the cream cheese frosting.

Since the cream cheese needs to be room temperature, I recommend letting it sit on top of the oven while the oven preheats and the cake bakes. Also, remember to add the powdered sugar a little at a time so that you don’t get covered in a powdered sugar cloud.

Assembling the Cake

After taking the cake layers out of their pans, making the frosting, and whipping the frosting, it was time to assemble the cake. Honestly, this part isn’t too complicated, especially since you don’t have to worry about accidentally putting too much frosting in the middle.

The only thing to keep in mind is to not bring the pineapple filling all the way to the edge of the top of the bottom layer. If you bring the filling all the way to the edge, some is sure to get squeezed out of the cake when you put on the top layer. Other than that, assembling this pineapple coconut cake is easy.

Toasting the Coconut to Decorate the Cake

Most old fashioned pineapple coconut cakes are decorated with shredded coconut around the side and on the top. Personally, I think they look almost identical to plain coconut cakes, so I wanted to distinguish my pineapple version: that’s why I decided to put toasted coconut around the sides.

Learning how to toast coconut is easy. I baked 1/2 cup shredded coconut at 350F for 8 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. Although toasting the coconut isn’t necessary, I highly recommend it since it really brings out the coconut flavor.

When putting small nuts, chocolate shavings, or shredded coconut on the outside of a cake, most people hold the cake with one hand as they put on the extras with the other. I didn’t want to accidentally drop the cake, so I let the cake sit on the counter. I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Decorating the Cake with Pineapple Chunks

I wanted an extra splash of color, so I decided to add actual pineapple to the top of the cake. I baked 2/3 cup of fresh pineapple chunks at 350F for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. I then put these pineapple chunks on top of the cake. The yellow pineapple stood really stood out against the white cream cheese frosting, so I really liked how it turned out.

Chilling the Cake

Once fully assembled, I chilled the cake in the refrigerator. Even though it might be tempting to cut into the cake right away, letting it chill for at least 4 hours, if not overnight, will give the flavors time to marry and the frosting to harden a bit.

Pineapple Coconut Cake FAQ’s

Can You Make This Cake Ahead of Time?

Like I just said, I think this cake is better after it’s chilled in the refrigerator a bit. Ideally, you would make this cake the night before you plan on serving it. Once made, this cake should be good for at least 3 days, if not longer. However, after more than a week, I think the quality would start to deteriorate.

Can You Freeze This Cake?

You can definitely freeze this cake! However, I don’t think it would freeze well with the cream cheese frosting. If you’re trying to plan ahead for the holidays like Thanksgiving or even Easter, I suggest baking the cake layers and then freezing them without the frosting. Just thaw and then frost before serving.

Can You Thurn This into a Sheet Cake?

Yes, I think this would work well as a sheet cake! The only issue would be the pineapple filling. You might try poking holes in the cake and treating it like a poke cake–that might be good! Or, you could even leave out the cream cheese frosting.

A Chef’s Review

This pineapple coconut cake recipe was a big success. As I just said in the section above, this cake had the perfect balance off pineapple and coconut flavors. Although the cake and cream cheese frosting are good, making the pineapple filling with fresh pineapple is what really put this cake over the top.

Because of this cake, I’m going to have to experiment with more fruit filling in cakes. They add so much flavor and moisture, it’s incredible. As a chef, it’s interesting how one recipe can lead to another.

In short, if you like both coconut and pineapple, then you’ll love this cake. Although there are multiple steps, the dessert is definitely worth it.

Possible Changes to My Pineapple Coconut Cake Recipe

Although this cake was amazing, there are a few things I might want to tweak:

Adding lemon to the pineapple filling – Lemon brings out flavors in a lot of things, and as I found in my pineapple pie and cobbler recipes, pineapple is no different.

Using fresh pineapple in the cake layers – That might make the cake layers even more flavorful.

Pineapple Coconut Cake Recipe with Cake Mix

YouTube Video:

Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial:

The post Pineapple Coconut Cake Recipe with Cake Mix appeared first on ParnellTheChef.

My old fashioned pineapple pie with fresh pineapple is easy and delicious. Since you can use either fresh pineapple or frozen, this recipe is super simple, especially if you use storebought pie crust. Although this pie definitely has a strong–and pleasant–pineapple flavor, I was surprised by how much this dessert reminded me of peach pie in both appearance and taste. If you love peach pie but you’re looking for something different that still has a classic, old fashioned taste and appearance, this recipe is for you.

Pineapple Pie Recipe Versions

Around the World

Although most people in the United States have never heard of a pineapple pie, desserts referred to as “pineapple pie” exist on Polynesian islands such as Fiji and Samoa. These pies use canned pineapple to make a custard filling that goes inside of either a parbaked crust or a crescent-shape hand pie.

In the United States, there are various recipes online for traditional pineapple pie. Most of the old fashioned pineapple pie recipes are very similar to my millionaire pie recipe: canned crushed pineapple is mixed with sweetened condensed milk and / or Cool Whip / whipped cream, the filling then poured into a graham cracker crust.

2 Crust Pineapple Pie

Even though there’s also a recipe for Johnny Cash pineapple pie that uses eggs, butter, and canned crushed pineapple to make a custard filling, here seem to be almost no recipes in the United States for a double crust pineapple pie.

I love classic pies like apple and mixed berry pie, so I set out to invent a pineapple pie recipe that would resemble what I consider to be a classic American pie: crust on the bottom, fruit in the middle, and crust on the top.

I didn’t have much to go off of when developing my recipe, so it was definitely a bit of a challenge. However, it turned out even better–and tastier–than I had expected, so I was more than pleased!

Canned Pineapple vs. Crushed Pineapple for Pie Filling

Although many recipes for things like pineapple filling for cakes or pineapple sauce for baked ham call for canned pineapple, I wanted to use fresh pineapple. I used both canned and fresh fruit in my pineapple upside down cake recipe, and there was no question that the fresh pineapple was far tastier.

That’s why I highly recommend that you use fresh or frozen pineapple if you make this pie recipe. Honestly, as a chef, I feel that fresh and canned pineapple taste so different that they’re almost like 2 different fruits. Even if it’s a bit more work, your taste buds will thank you!

How to Make Old Fashioned Pineapple Pie with Fresh Pineapple

Although developing the recipe was a bit of a challenge, learning how to make an old fashioned pineapple pie with fresh pineapple actually isn’t that hard. I think this recipe is actually more forgiving than it looks: as long as you follow my steps, it should turn out great!

Prepping the Pineapple

Like I said, I highly suggest using fresh pineapple over canned. When I made this recipe, I bought a fresh pineapple, cut it up, froze it, and then thawed it the day I made the pie. You can definitely cut up a pineapple on the same day that you make this pie, but I think it’s a lot of work: sometimes it’s easier to do some of the prep ahead of time.

Since I froze the pineapple and then thawed it, definitely feel free to press the “easy” button and just buy frozen pineapple. I used storebought frozen pineapple when I made pineapple cobbler, and I thought it tasted just as good. As I’ve explained in other recipes, frozen fruit is a very good option for making pies and cobblers.

Making the Pineapple Filling

Ingredients

Making the filling is very simple: all you have to do is mix together the pineapple chunks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch, water, and a bit of salt. There’s no cooking on the stove required–literally just mixing.

Even though it might seem odd, adding lemon zest and juice to your pineapple pie filling is a good idea. As in other recipes, lemon brings out fruit flavors–and this pineapple pie was no exception.

Adding Water to the Filling?

I know that adding water to the filling probably sounds odd. However, pineapples are not as juicy as other fruits like strawberries, so I was afraid that the filling would turn out dry.

After doing research online and thinking about pineapples themselves, I figured that adding extra liquid would not be a bad idea. Even though you might think that adding water would “water down” the flavor, it didn’t. Instead, the extra liquid did just what I wanted it to do: it made the filling nice and juicy.

White or Brown Sugar?

I used white sugar, but you could use light brown if you want: brown sugar and pineapple is a common combination on baked hams. However, I wanted my pineapple pie filling to have a nice yellow color, so I chose to only use white. If you’re willing to potentially sacrifice the color of the filling, I think brown sugar would be good in this recipe.

Assembling the Pie

After parbaking the crust, I simply poured the filling into the 9-inch pie shell and put on the top crust. After crimping the edges and cutting steam vents, I sprinkled the top with some white and light brown sugar: I do this for all my fruit pies, and I think it adds a nice bit of crunch.

When baking a pineapple pie–or any fruit pie–be sure to bake it on a cookie sheet or pizza pan in case it boils over. It’s easier to clean a pan than the bottom of your oven.

A Chef’s Review

Like I said, I was really pleased with how this old fashioned pineapple pie with fresh pineapple recipe turned out. The pineapple flavor was a lot stronger than I had expected–to some degree, I thought it even tasted more like pineapple than fresh pineapple!

The hardest part was developing the recipe. Should I add water to the filling? What about lemon? How much sugar? What type of sugar? Although this was my first time making this pie recipe, I thought it turned out absolutely perfectly. If you’re looking for a new yet still familiar dessert, give this a try!

Possible Changes

Although this pie turned out perfectly on the first try, I might want to try:

• Brown sugar – Brown sugar and pineapple are known to go together well.
• Add peaches – I think a peach and pineapple pie would be good.

More Pineapple Recipes

If you love pineapple desserts as much as I do, be sure to try:

Pineapple Dump Cake with 3 Ingredients – Canned crushed pineapple makes this cobbler super easy.

Old Fashioned Pineapple Pie with Fresh Pineapple Recipe

YouTube Video

Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial:

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