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Pina Colada Cake with Coconut Marshmallow Frosting

Pina Colada Cake. An amazing celebration cake that’s soaked with rum, filled with roasted pineapple jam and covered in coconut marshmallow frosting.

Pina Colada Cake close up photo of a single slice

Pina Colada Cake with Coconut Marshmallow Frosting

When I first tasted our experimental Roasted Pineapple Jam, I was surprised by the intense pineapple flavor. I just knew that I would have to incorporate it into a great dessert cake.

Fresh Golden Pineapple cut in pieces on white background.

Fresh golden pineapple works very well in this recipe.

A pina colada cake first leapt to mind and it worked out very well indeed.

I took a really great vanilla cake recipe and soaked in a little dark rum. Then, I filled a couple of the layers with the roasted pineapple jam.

Pina Colada Cake photo of uncut completed cake on a gold cake board

Pina Colada Cake with Coconut Marshmallow Frosting

The whole cake was then covered in a thick layer of coconut marshmallow frosting. Finally, I garnished with a final sprinkle of toasted coconut.

Desiccated coconut in white ceramic bowl.

Fine cut, dried (desiccated) unsweetened coconut is the type to use in this recipe.

This is an awesome celebration cake for those who love sweet, tropical, pineapple flavor. However, I’ll bet the coconut lovers will go wild for this one too.

Pina Colada Cake photo of a cut slice on a white plate with full cake in background

Pina Colada Cake with Coconut Marshmallow Frosting

Love homemade cakes from scratch? We’ve put together a collection of the 25 Most Baked Cakes of the last 12 years on Rock Recipes. You are sure to find several to love.

Top Ten cake recipes photo collage with title text for Pinterest

First Published April 2013. Updated May 2020.

Like this Pina Colada Cake recipe?

You’ll find hundreds of other sweet ideas in our Cakes & Pies Category and even more in our Desserts Category.

Pina Colada Cake photo of finished uncut cake with title text added for Pinterest

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Pina Colada Cake photo of a cake slice with title text added for Pinterest
 
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Pina Colada Cake close up photo of a single slice
Yield: 16 servings

Pina Colada Cake with Coconut Marshmallow Frosting

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Pina Colada Cake. An amazing celebration cake that's soaked with rum, filled with roasted pineapple jam and covered in coconut marshmallow frosting.

Ingredients

  • Before starting this recipe you will first need to make some of our incredible Roasted Pineapple Jam.

For the vanilla cake

  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup undiluted evaporated milk

For the Coconut Marshmallow Frosting

  • 4 egg whites
  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • ½ cup corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 tsp pure coconut extract (optional)

To construct the cake you will also need

  • 2 cups roasted pineapple jam ( Find that recipe here.)
  • 4 ounces dark rum
  • 1/2 cup toasted coconut

Instructions

To prepare the cake

  1. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. I also like to line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
  2. Sift together both flours, baking powder and salt and set aside. (See note)
  3. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after every addition;
  5. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  6. Gently fold in the dry ingredients in three equal portions, alternately with the evaporated milk.
  7. When adding dry and wet ingredients alternately in any baking recipe, always begin and end with the dry ingredients. Asa general rule I always add the dry ingredients in 3 portions and the liquid in 2 portions.
  8. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.
  9. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch it carefully, you will not want to over bake this cake.
  10. As soon as the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and let it rest in the pans for 5 minutes. Then, turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the Coconut Marshmallow Frosting

  1. In a small saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup and water.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. You can also use the soft ball test.  That's when a teaspoonful of the hot mixture dropped into ice water forms a soft ball that holds its shape when cool.
  3. Whip the egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla extract (and coconut extract if you are using it) to soft peaks in a large bowl.
  4. With the mixer on medium high speed, slowly begin to pour the sugar syrup down the side of the egg white bowl in a thin continuous stream.
  5. Continue to whip the frosting until it forms stiff peaks. Finally fold the coconut in by hand.

To construct the cake

  1. Split the 2 layers of cake into 4 by cutting them in half horizontally.
  2. Each layer will get sprinkled with an ounce of the rum. Sprinkle the first layer with an ounce of the rum then spread with 1 cup of the pineapple jam.
  3. Add the next cake layer, sprinkle with an ounce of rum and spread with some of the coconut frosting.
  4. Top with the next layer of cake, sprinkle with another ounce of rum and spread with the other cup of pineapple jam.
  5. Add the final layer of cake, sprinkle it with with the last of the rum and then frost the top and sides with the remaining coconut frosting.
  6. To toast coconut, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Sprinkle coconut evenly into a baking pan and bake for about 6 minutes. Tossing the coconut at the 3 minute mark. 
  7. Sprinkle the toasted coconut on the top and sides to garnish.

Notes

You can find our Roasted Pineapple Jam here.

Nutrition Information

Yield

16

Serving Size

1 slice

Amount Per Serving Calories 496Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 82mgSodium 180mgCarbohydrates 75gFiber 2gSugar 55gProtein 6g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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Brenda

Wednesday 29th of June 2016

Making this cake for my sister's birthday! I hope she enjoys it as much as last year's strawberry mascarpone cake !

Barry C. Parsons

Wednesday 16th of April 2014

Absolutely Shawn.

Shawn

Wednesday 16th of April 2014

This looks delicious! Do you think I can sub coconut rum or spiced rum for the dark?? Both of which I have on hand??

Carole

Thursday 30th of May 2013

Hi there, today I'm collecting cake recipes. Please drop me a line on ca4ole@gmail.com if you are ok with me linking to your post in my blog (Carole's Chatter). Cheers

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