Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Celebrate summer with this Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake! Buttery moist cake with notes of honey, pineapple and citrus topped with honey buttercream frosting.

This delicious cake is an explosion of bright summer flavors in your mouth. Great with or without the frosting, it can be enjoyed with a morning cup of coffee or a glass of milk or tea in the evening.

Pound cakes are one of my favorite things to make because they are easy and delicious. A classic.

So why not put a little spin on a classic by adding pineapple and honey. Two flavors that go so well together.

I’m also a big fan of adding cream cheese to my pound cake recipes. Take my Peach Cobbler Pound Cake for example, so good with the added cream cheese!

Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake is perfect for any summer occasion. It’s also great in the dead of winter when you’re dreaming about warm summer days and want to take yourself there!

I don’t think there’s really a time where I would turn down pineapple cake, to be honest.

This is a recipe that the whole family can enjoy, any age, it’s always a huge hit! It’s an easy recipe for home bakers to throw together on a weekend morning and enjoy all weekend long.

Ingredients for Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake

• Unsalted Butter – Melted Butter will be one of the main flavors or this pound cake. I use unsalted so I can control the salt level myself.
• Granulated Sugar – Pound cakes should be sweet and this is one of several sweeteners in this recipe.
• Brown Sugar – Brown sugar adds moisture to this cake and I love the flavor of pineapple and brown sugar together!
• Eggs – One of the distinguishing qualities of a pound cake is the large amount of eggs.
• Vanilla Extract – Vanilla adds great base flavor to many baked goods.
• Sour Cream – Sour cream brings a lot of moisture to this cake.
• Cream Cheese – Cream cheese adds moisture, texture and flavor to this Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake.
• Crushed Pineapple – I use canned pineapple with the juice for my crushed pineapple.
• Lime – Fresh lime juice and zest is used in the cake and in the honey buttercream frosting.
• Cake Flour – I prefer cake flour over all purpose flour in my pound cakes. It gives a little lightness but the focus is still on the butter and moist cake.
• Baking Powder – This leavening agent brings a little lift.
• Kosher Salt – Salt helps bring out the flavors of all the ingredients.
• Honey – I like to use Local Hive Honey for my recipes. It’s a raw honey that you can find online or some local grocery stores.
• Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar, this will be used when making the buttercream frosting.
• Milk – I use whole milk when thinning out my buttercream.
• Fresh Pineapple (optional)- Fresh pineapple can be used to garnish the top of the pound cake if you like.

Equipment needed

• Loaf Pan – I use 2 loaf pans for this Pineapple Pound Cake recipe. You could also use a Bundt pan if you’d prefer. Cooking time will be similar but keep an eye on it because it may vary slightly.
• Large Mixing Bowl – You can use a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer to mix the batter and buttercream frosting.
• Medium Bowl – Use a medium bowl to whisk the dry ingredients together.
• Stand Mixer – Use either a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer for the pound cake and frosting.
• Cooling Rack – Let the Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake cool completely on a wire rack before frosting or serving it.

Tips for Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake

• For best results, use room temperature eggs and dairy products.
• Let the Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake cool fully before frosting it. The frosting will melt if you put it on a warm cake.
• Pineapple Pound Cake is enjoyed best at room temperature.
• Add a little fresh pineapple slices to the top of the cake for garnish and flavor.
• You can make a pineapple Bundt cake using a Bundt pan instead of loaf pans if you prefer. Keep an eye on it while baking because the time may vary slightly.
• I used Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt for this recipe, if you’re using Morton’s Kosher Salt you can use about 75% of the salt that is called for. Morton’s is a bit saltier.
• Stir the can of crushed pineapple to mix the juice evenly before scooping it out to measure. Do not drain the liquid, you want the juice along with the crushed pineapple.

How to make Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Preheat your oven to 350° then spray 2 loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the dry ingredients together. Set the bowl aside.

Combine butter, both sugars and honey on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until well combined. You can also use a large bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium speed.

Mix in the cream cheese on medium speed until fairly smooth. Add eggs one at a time, on medium speed, scraping sides of the bowl between each addition.

Mix in the vanilla, sour cream, lime juice and zest. Fold in 1 cup of undrained pineapple.

Add the flour mixture on low just until almost fully combined. Do not overmix.

Pour batter into prepared pans then bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake.

Toothpick should come out clean or with only a few crumbs. If there is any wet batter on the toothpick, bake for an additional 3-5 minutes then check again.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake should be golden brown on top and likely have a crack down the center. Allow the pound cake to cool for 5 minutes in the pan then transfer onto a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.

Making the Honey Buttercream

While the Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake is cooling, make the frosting. Add the room temperature butter and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the sifted powdered sugar, lime, milk and salt then slowly mix until combined.

Turn the mixer to high for 3 minutes until buttercream is light and fluffy. Spread Honey Buttercream over the top of the fully cooled Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake and serve at room temperature.

Other Additions

This Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake is delicious just the way it is but there are a few additions that are yummy too! Here are some of my favorites:

• Maraschino Cherries
• Coconut Extract
• Shredded Coconut
• Toasted Coconut Flakes (on top for garnish)
• Fresh Ginger
• Toasted Macadamia Nuts

How to store Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake can be store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.

Let it come to room temperature before eating for best flavor.

It can also be stored on the counter for up to 24 hours, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

Pineapple Pound Cake can also be frozen. I recommend freezing it without the frosting. Wrap it tightly multiple times in plastic wrap then cover with one layer of aluminum foil.

Freeze for up to 2 months.

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FAQ

What is the secret to moist pound cake?

To ensure you get moist pound cake I like using at least one of the following: Buttermilk, sour cream or cream cheese. All of those will add moisture to the pound cake and the acid from the buttermilk and sour cream gives a tender crumb.

Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing can cause the pound cake to dry out.

Use room temperature ingredients. Using room temperature eggs and dairy products will help give you a moist tender cake.

Add additional moisture by using a little brown sugar, apple sauce or pineapple.

Do not overbake your pound cake. Over baking will cause the cake to dry out.

What kind of flour is best for pound cake?

I prefer to use cake flour for pound cake. Cake flour gives a little bit of a lighter crumb but still has that hallmark heavy poundcake feeling.

You can use all purpose flour but you will end up with a more dense and heavy cake. And for me that’s just too much.

Why are they called pound cakes?

Pound cake got it’s name when it originated hundreds of years ago because it called for one pound of butter, flour, eggs and sugar.

It was created in Britain in the 1700’s and rumor has it that the ingredients were a pound each so that the recipe could be easily spread by word of mouth.

Some people think that pound cakes weigh one pound when in reality a true pound cake weighs closer to 4 pounds.