Pineapple Pecan Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

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Ladies, prepare yourselves for a slice of heaven that’ll transport you straight to a tropical paradise! This Pineapple Pecan Cream Cheese Pound Cake is the dessert of your dreams – rich, moist, and absolutely bursting with sunny pineapple flavor. The cream cheese gives it that perfect dense-yet-tender pound cake texture that we all crave, while the pecans add just the right amount of nutty crunch. The first time I brought this to my sister’s potluck, people were literally following me around asking for the recipe! Trust me when I say this cake is going to become your new signature dessert – the one everyone begs you to bring to every gathering.

Pineapple pecan cream cheese pound cake topped with frosting and chopped pecans, with a slice cut out.
Sweet, tangy, and nutty—this pineapple pecan pound cake is pure dessert bliss.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Incredibly moist texture that stays perfect for days – if it lasts that long!
  • Unique tropical flavor from the double dose of pineapple and hint of rum extract
  • Show-stopping presentation with minimal effort – this cake looks as amazing as it tastes
  • Makes a generous cake perfect for serving a crowd or enjoying leftovers with your morning coffee

Ingredients

The Creamy Foundation:

  • Unsalted butter – The base of any great pound cake, providing richness and that melt-in-your-mouth quality.
  • Cream cheese – Creates that velvety texture that sets this pound cake apart from all others.
  • Sugar – Sweetens the cake while helping create that perfect tender crumb.
  • Eggs – Provides structure and richness while helping the cake rise to gorgeous heights.

The Flavor Boosters:

  • Crushed pineapple – These little juicy bits distribute throughout the cake for bursts of tropical flavor in every bite.
  • Pineapple soda – A secret ingredient that adds a subtle sweetness and helps create that incredible tender texture.
  • Vanilla extract – The classic foundation that enhances all the other flavors.
  • Pineapple extract – Amplifies that sunny pineapple flavor throughout the entire cake.
  • Rum extract – Just enough to add a hint of island flair without overpowering.

The Structure Builders:

  • Cake flour – The key to that fine, tender crumb that makes pound cake so special.
  • Salt – Enhances all the flavors and balances the sweetness.

The Perfect Addition:

  • Chopped pecans – Adds delightful crunch and nutty warmth that pairs beautifully with the pineapple.

The full ingredient list with measurements will be available in the recipe card below.

How to Make Pineapple Pecan Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Prepare Your Ingredients and Pan:

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F – pound cakes prefer a slightly lower temperature for even baking.
  2. Prepare a 10-12 cup bundt pan with a thorough coating of baking spray with flour, or butter and flour it the old-fashioned way. Don’t skip this step – nothing is more heartbreaking than a stuck cake!
  3. Make sure all refrigerated ingredients (butter, cream cheese, eggs) are at room temperature – this is absolutely essential for a smooth batter.
  4. Drain your crushed pineapple well, pressing gently to remove excess juice without crushing it completely.

Create the Batter:

  1. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until completely smooth and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Don’t rush this step – that air you’re incorporating is key to a perfect texture!
  2. Gradually add the sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes total. The color should change to a pale yellow.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure everything is incorporated evenly.
  4. Pour in the vanilla extract, pineapple extract, and rum extract, mixing until just combined.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour and salt.
  6. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in thirds, alternating with pineapple soda (starting and ending with flour). Mix on low speed just until combined after each addition – overmixing at this stage can make your cake tough.
  7. Gently fold in the well-drained crushed pineapple and chopped pecans by hand using a spatula. This gentle touch preserves the air you’ve worked so hard to incorporate!

Bake to Perfection:

  1. Pour the batter into your prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
  2. Give the pan a couple of gentle taps on the counter to release any large air bubbles.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven for about 80-90 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
  4. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 10 minutes – any longer and it might stick, any shorter and it might fall apart.
  5. Invert the cake onto a serving plate and let it cool completely before glazing or serving.

Optional Pineapple Glaze:

  1. For the perfect finishing touch, whisk together 2 cups of powdered sugar with 3-4 tablespoons of pineapple juice until smooth.
  2. Drizzle over the completely cooled cake, letting it run down the beautiful ridges of your bundt creation.
  3. Sprinkle with a few additional chopped pecans for a picture-perfect presentation.

Pro Tips for Making the Recipe

  • Room temperature ingredients are non-negotiable – cold ingredients don’t incorporate properly and can lead to a dense, uneven cake.
  • Don’t substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour if you can help it. The lower protein content in cake flour gives this cake its tender texture. If you must substitute, use 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour mixed with 1/2 cup cornstarch.
  • Measure your flour correctly by spooning it into measuring cups and leveling off, rather than scooping directly with the measuring cup, which can pack too much flour into your cake.
  • The pineapple soda adds both flavor and the perfect amount of leavening from the carbonation. If you substitute with pineapple juice, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to compensate.
  • Toast your pecans before adding them to the batter for an even more pronounced nutty flavor – just 5-7 minutes in a 350°F oven until fragrant.

How to Serve

This showstopping cake deserves to be the center of attention! Serve thick slices as is, letting the complex flavors shine, or take it to the next level with a few special touches.

For an everyday treat, enjoy a slice with your afternoon coffee or tea. The cake’s substantial texture stands up beautifully to a hot beverage.

For more special occasions, serve slices with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of warm caramel sauce – the combination of warm, cool, and that hint of salt is absolutely divine!

If you’re feeling extra tropical, serve with grilled pineapple slices and a small dollop of rum-infused whipped cream for a dessert that screams “vacation”!

Make Ahead and Storage

Make Ahead:

This cake actually improves after a day, as the flavors have time to meld together! You can bake it up to 2 days ahead and store at room temperature, tightly covered. If adding a glaze, it’s best to do that the day of serving for the prettiest presentation.

Storage:

  • Room Temperature: Store unglazed or glazed cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • Refrigerator: For longer storage, refrigerate for up to one week. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
  • Freezer: This cake freezes beautifully! Wrap the completely cooled, unglazed cake tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before glazing and serving.

Refreshing:

If your cake has been stored for a few days and needs refreshing, warm individual slices for 10-15 seconds in the microwave – this brings back that just-baked texture and makes the flavors bloom again!

FAQs

Can I make this cake without a bundt pan?

Absolutely! While a bundt pan creates that gorgeous presentation, this versatile batter works beautifully in other formats too. You can bake it in two 9×5-inch loaf pans for about 60-70 minutes, or in a 9×13-inch pan for about 50-60 minutes. For layer cakes, divide between two or three 8-inch round pans and reduce the baking time to 35-45 minutes. Just remember to adjust your baking time accordingly and always test for doneness with a toothpick or skewer. No matter which pan you choose, be sure to prepare it well to prevent sticking – this is a moist cake that loves to cling!

I can’t find pineapple extract or pineapple soda. What can I substitute?

No worries! While these ingredients add that extra pineapple punch, you can still make a delicious cake without them. If you can’t find pineapple extract, simply increase the vanilla extract to 1½ teaspoons and add ¼ teaspoon of coconut extract if available. For the pineapple soda, you can substitute pineapple juice mixed with a bit of club soda (about 3/4 cup juice plus 1/4 cup club soda), or simply use all pineapple juice. Another option is to use lemon-lime soda like Sprite or 7UP, which won’t add pineapple flavor but will provide the carbonation that helps create that lovely texture. The crushed pineapple in the batter will still give you a wonderful pineapple flavor!

Can I add a tropical twist with other fruits or nuts?

This recipe is wonderfully adaptable! For an even more tropical version, try adding 1/2 cup of toasted coconut along with the pecans. You could also fold in 1/4 cup of finely diced dried mango or papaya for chewy bites of extra fruit flavor. If pecans aren’t your favorite, macadamia nuts make a wonderful tropical substitution that pairs beautifully with pineapple. For a fun variation, substitute 1/4 cup of the chopped pecans with toffee bits for little pockets of caramel surprise! Just be careful not to add too many extra ingredients, as they can weigh down the cake and affect how it rises.

My pound cakes sometimes have a dense streak at the bottom. How can I prevent this?

That dense streak is a common pound cake issue, and I’ve got solutions! First, make sure your butter, cream cheese, and eggs are truly at room temperature – this can take up to an hour on the counter. Second, cream your butter, cream cheese, and sugar thoroughly until the mixture is truly light and fluffy – don’t rush this step! Third, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Finally, be gentle when adding the flour – mix just until combined, as overmixing develops gluten that can cause that dense streak. If you’re still having trouble, try mixing the batter by hand at the end with a light touch. And remember, your oven temperature matters too – use an oven thermometer to verify it’s heating correctly, as pound cakes can be sensitive to temperature fluctuations.