Pineapple Sunshine Cake: This easy pineapple cake combines a box of cake mix, pineapple, instant pudding, and whipped topping to create the perfect dessert for spring, summer, or really anytime!
Quick Overview: Bake your cake in a 9×13″ pan, poke holes and pour pudding over. Top with pineapple whipped cream and chill for 4 hours. Serve and enjoy!
If you're baking for a group, you might also like these desserts for a potluck.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This recipe takes a basic cake mix and transforms it into an unforgettable pineapple sheet cake. It’s as easy to make as a sheet cake but as moist and delicious as poke cakes (so basically… it’s the perfect cake)! I think you’ll also love this Granny Cake recipe that’s also a vintage sheet cake!
It’s also an easy recipe to make if you are new to the whole cake thing. This cake is a serious crowd pleaser and no one will ever guess how easy it was to make (don’t worry, we won’t tell them).
This is the perfect treat for spring barbecues, dinner parties or an addition to your Easter spread. That fresh, pineapple flavor and bright yellow color just scream spring, don’t you think?
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Ingredients
Good food doesn’t have to be difficult to be delicious. This yummy comfort food of a cake requires only simple ingredients and comes together easily!
To make this pineapple sunshine cake recipe, you’ll need:
- 1- 15.25 ounce box yellow or butter cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup oil or softened butter
- 1- 20 ounce can of pineapple, crushed (divided) – now if you love pineapple in cakes and are looking for a “warmer” cake, opposed to a lighter cake, you’ll want to try this Vintage Preacher Cake recipe too.
- 1- 5.1 ounce vanilla pudding
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup pineapple juice (from the can of crushed pineapple)
- 1- 8 ounce whipped topping
How to Make Pineapple Sunshine Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the boxy of yellow cake mix, ⅓ cup oil or butter, water, eggs and ⅔ cup of the drained, crushed pineapple.
- When cake batter is combined pour batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes (or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean). Set cake aside to cool.
- When cake is cool, use a large straw or end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake.
- Make a filling by combining the box of vanilla pudding mix with the milk and 1 cup of pineapple juice in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine it all together.
- Pour this creamy pineapple pudding/filling all over the cake so it gets into all the holes you created.
- Next take the remaining drained crushed pineapple and mix it into the whipped topping (you can use thawed cool whip for this or whipped cream).
- Spread the fluffy pineapple whipped topping mix all over the top of cake.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours.
- Add some pineapple garnish on top, serve and enjoy!
Substitutions
A few of the ingredients in this cake can easily be swapped out if you are short on something or have an allergy in the house.
- Pineapple juice – if your can of crushed pineapple doesn’t have enough juice in it to make up the whole 1 cup you need for the recipe, you can use fresh lemon juice (or concentrate) for the rest!
- Dairy Free – if you need to make this cake dairy free, use oil instead of butter and then replace the milk and whipped topping with a dairy free alternative. Coconut milk and coconut whipped cream would be a great dairy alternative for this recipe!
Variations
This cake can quickly transform into a totally new cake with just a few simple changes!
- Pineapple orange sunshine cake – replace half of the pineapple and pineapple juice in this recipe with canned mandarin oranges and orange juice, respectively. This easy addition turns this into a whole new cake!
- Pina colada sheet cake – instead of vanilla pudding mix, use a coconut cream dry pudding mix and add some toasted coconut to the top of the cake!
- Garnish – you can also leave the recipe exactly as it is and just play around with the garnish on top. Try maraschino cherries, sliced pineapple, or even candied lemons!
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Expert tips and FAQs
Is it just me, or is southern food some of the best food in the whole world? Yum!
“Southern sunshine cake” is fairly similar to this pineapple sunshine cake. The base of the cake is a cake mix with crushed pineapple. My midwestern friends would likely keep the flavor profile of their crushed pineapple cake similar to today’s recipe, but the lovely ladies of the south would likely give it a tropical twist!
Southern sunshine cake typically incorporates pecans and coconut into the pineapple cake recipe.
Absolutely! This cake is delicious as it is, but it would also be great with a sweeter frosting.
We think a whipped cream cheese frosting would be delicious on this cake. We haven’t tried this ourselves, but here’s what we would do…
– Cream 8 oz. of softened cream cheese in a stand mixer.
– Add a tub of whipped topping to the mixer and cream frosting together.
– Fold in the crushed pineapple and spread this over the cake!
If you try that be sure to leave us a comment and let us know how it goes!
Related Recipes
If you loved this old-fashioned sunshine cake recipe, you should also try our pineapple dump cake, this pineapple bread, and our cherry chip cake!
Recipe originally published: February 2022
Updated and republished: May 2025
Recipe
Pineapple Sunshine Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1- 15.25 ounce box yellow or butter cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- 1- 20 ounce crushed pineapple divided
- 1- 5.1 ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup pineapple juice (from the can of crushed pineapple)
- 1- 8 ounce whipped topping room temperature
Instructions
Pineapple Sunshine Cake
- Pre heat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the boxy of yellow cake mix, ⅓ cup oil or butter, water, eggs and ⅔ cup of the drained, crushed pineapple.
- When cake batter is combined pour batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes (or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean). Set cake aside to cool.
- When cake is cool, use a large straw or end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake.
- Make a filling by combining the box of vanilla pudding mix with the milk and 1 cup of pineapple juice in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine it all together.
- Pour this creamy pineapple pudding/filling all over the cake so it gets into all the holes you created.
- Next take the remaining drained crushed pineapple and mix it into the whipped topping (you can use thawed cool whip for this or whipped cream).
- Spread the fluffy pineapple whipped topping mix all over the top of cake.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours.
- Add some pineapple garnish on top, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Rhema Flowers says
I made this cake and it was gone in a day! It was so moist and delicious! My family Loved it – even my pickiest eater! Highly recommend. 5 stars 🌟 😍
Jessica says
That’s so great, and I’m so glad to hear it. Thank you so much!
Sherry says
Can I refrigerate this cake overnight?
Jessica says
Storing leftovers of the cake in the refrigerator is recommended, and storing it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving is recommended as well. So overnight should be just fine. 🙂
Amy L Matthews says
Light and refreshing cake, but not much pineapple flavor. Just kind of tastes like yellow cake with whipped cream. It was tasty, but was expecting more flavor.
Shaun K says
Thank you, Jessica, for this recipe! I made this for a co-worker’s birthday, and it turned out fantastic! Everyone in the office loved this cake. Every person that requested the recipe was given the link to your site. I am excited to make more of your recipes. Thanks again!
Jessica says
Oh I’m SO happy to hear that, Shaun! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know and for sharing with them. So sweet, thank you!
Lori Z says
Absolutely delicious I would use a 12oz whipped topping next time 8oz barely covered the cake but so good thank you 😊
Jessica says
So glad you liked it! Thank you!
Katie says
This is always a hit and so easy to throw together. Love the bright flavors!
Jessica says
I totally agree Katie! Thank you so much for giving this sunshine cake a try and for leaving a review!
Samantha says
This cake was simply amazing! Easy to make and tasted like a burst of summer on a winter day! My family has already asked when I can make it again. 🙂
Jessica says
Haha, that’s wonderful!! I definitely think pineapple is the perfect winter treat! 🙂 Thank you for leaving a review!
Betsy says
Holy cow! This is absolutely amazing!! So delicious! Such a wonderfully bright cake to have on this cold winter day! Reminds me of summer. 🙂 Ok. I can keep toughing out this winter! This cake… yum!
Jessica says
Haha! Betsy you and I sound a lot alike! I’m digging the summer flavors during winter, with this cake too! Thank you!