Pineapple coconut spoon cake in the slow cooker? Yes, please! Pantry staples come together to create the most incredible-tasting dessert that everyone is sure to love.
Warm desserts are the best! Spoon cake is a must in the slow cooker, we also make German Chocolate Spoon Cake, Pumpkin Spoon Cake and Butterfinger Cake.
Why this recipe works
This cake has such a great flavor combination. Have you ever had pineapple fluff? It’s a mixture of pineapple, coconut, marshmallows, and whipped cream. Well, that is what this cake tastes like to me!
Not to mention, anyone on the receiving end of a piece of this cake will think you made it from scratch. But in reality, it’s a simple dump and go process with a two-hour cooking time. This is definitely a dessert to make for the holidays, a family gathering, or a potluck.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cake Mix: I use Pillsbury Yellow Cake Mix, though a white cake mix can be used.
- Crushed Pineapple: To make this cake and glaze, you will need a 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple. Read the directions carefully below in my recipe and don’t throw away any of the pineapple or juices. Part of the pineapple and juices go into the sweet buttery glaze that gets put on the cake at the end of the cooking time.
- Salted Butter: I learned this trick from Paula Dean to use butter in place of oil in cake mix recipes, this is life-changing!
- Coconut: No need to toast this, just toss it in.
- Pecans: Adding these add texture to the cake.
- Glaze: The glaze is a warm buttery topping made from powdered sugar, pineapple juice, melted butter, coconut, and pecans. It soaks into the cake and is drool-worthy.
Step One – Add the cake ingredients into a large bowl. and whisk until the batter just comes together, do not over mix, some little lumps of cake mix are fine.
Step Two – Whisk the ingredients together until the batter just comes together. (Do not over-mix, some little lumps of cake mix are fine.)
Step Three – Pour the batter into the prepared crock pot and smooth it out with a spatula.
Step Four – Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours. (Do not remove the lid during cooking time.)
Step Five – Combine the glaze ingredients – powdered sugar, pineapple juice, melted butter, coconut, and pecans – in a small mixing bowl.
Step Six – Mix the ingredients together until well combined.
Step Seven – Pour the glaze mix over the hot cake.
How to serve pineapple spoon cake
- You can’t go wrong by serving this as is. It has everything you need to enjoy a sweet treat.
- If you want to serve it with something, try a scoop of vanilla or vanilla pecan ice cream. It also tastes great served with additional fresh fruit such as pineapple chunks and chopped strawberries.
- When it comes to toppings, whipped cream and a cherry on top is the popular choice.
Recipe FAQs
This cake is too gooey to be taken out of the slow cooker unless it was refrigerated. I recommend serving this warm right out of the slow cooker.
Yes! Bake as directed on the box for the size of the cake pan you are using. Add the glaze on top of the cake when the cake is hot out of the oven.
You can’t tell from the pictures, but this cake sets up very well. The glaze makes it look like it hasn’t but rest assured there is cake texture under all that glaze. You can watch the video to see what the cake looks like inside.
Store any remaining cake in an airtight container. It does not have to be put in the fridge, but it should be eaten within 4 days (although I doubt it will last that long).
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Slow Cooker Pineapple Coconut Spoon Cake
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
For the cake
- 15.25 oz yellow cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick); melted
- 20 oz crushed pineapple divided; 1 cup drained; save all the juices and remaining pineapple for the glaze
- 1 cup coconut
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
For the glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- reserved crush pineapple measures out to be about a cup
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup coconut
- 1/4 cup pecans chopped
Instructions:
- Add the cake ingredients into a large bowl and whisk until the batter just comes together, do not over mix, some little lumps of cake mix are fine.
- Spray the slow cooker with non-stick spray and add the batter to the slow cooker. Smooth out the batter with a spatula.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours, keep the lid on THE ENTIRE TIME.
- When the cooking time is done, turn off the slow cooker.
Glaze
- Add the powdered sugar, remaining pineapple, melted butter, coconut and chopped pecans to a bowl.
- Whisk until a sauce forms.
- Pour this mixture over the warm cake.
- Let the cake sit for 5 minutes with the glaze on top, covered.
- Spoon out servings into bowls and serve with whipped cream if desired.
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
I just made this!.. followed the recipe exactly the way it’s typed! set the cooker for 2 hours… the cake was done complete.. IT was really good! its a keeper!
Followed the recipe as well, and it took longer than 2 hours to cook
My glaze was really soupy so I strained some juice off, but it still doesn’t look right. Is this supposed to thicken or soak into the finished cake?
It will soak into the cake
This looks AMAZING! Brilliant idea!
Thanks Mandy!
Is there a way to make this Vegan?
Question – is this made using fresh flake coconut or the sweetened flake coconut from the baking aisle?
I used the sweetened flake from the baking aisle
Maybe the posters who had trouble with the batter setting didn’t take enough time to get all the moisture out of the pineapple that went into it. Mine is turning out great, can’t wait to share it with friends!
So great to hear Emily!
Any idea how this would work with a gluten free cake mix? The boxes come with one layer, so I imagine I’d have to use two boxes. Anybody tried it? This cake looks delicious!
I cooked accordingly, never took the lid off and it took 3 1/2 hours to cook completely. I used the same type slow cooker as yours, I followed the recipe exactly. After the 3 1/2 hours my husband was ready to drink it if he had to, fortunately I only had to remove about 2 serving spoons full of batter. We enjoyed it very much, but next time it’s going into the oven. Thanks for sharing.
I have a 4 quart slow cooker. Is there a way to adjust the recipe to work in the smaller size?
Hi Mary! I’m unsure how to adapt it, I like the oblong slow cooker for this recipe to insure the center gets cooked.
I have one of those cake pan sized slow cookers (Rival, I think!) and I’m going to see how this cake works in it! No idea how much time, but I’m thinking maybe a little less than two hours. Wish me luck!
How did this turn out?
I don’t have a 6-quart crock pot. Any idea on how long it would take to do this in the oven?
The same amount of time that the box says for the size cake pans you are using 🙂
I made this last night. After 2 hours and adding the glaze it was not even close to being done. The center was still complete liquid. I scooped out the middle and let it cook on low for about another hour. Still not fully cooked. The part that was cooked tasted good but I think this might be better done in an oven.
I wouldn’t of opened the lid if it didn’t look set, that adds a ton more time. Also did you open the lid even once during the cooking time? That would effect it also.
I didn’t open the lid. Cooked it on high just over 2 hours on high. Followed the recipe exactly. It just didn’t turn out fo me. No worries. Still tasted good.
Darn! I’m glad it still tasted good though!
All of my favorite flavors in one cake…this is a must make! What kind of cake mix did you use? White? Yellow? (It looks like yellow.) Cake with pudding in the mix? I am anticipating my indecisiveness in the cake mix aisle at the store. 😉
Yellow! I’ll add that to the recipe.
Thank you, Sarah!
Love your Pineapple slow cooker cake. It was a big hit at my party.
I would like to double the recipe. Can you send me the recipe or directions
how I can do this.
Hi Dee! I’m unsure how it would do being doubled. I’m worried it wouldn’t get set in the middle.
Thank you for your prompt reply.
I will just make it into two separate slow cookers.
Would this work in the 13 x 9 crockpot??