The Easiest Gluten-Free Pineapple Cake You Could Ever Make

It was later in the evening when my craving hit for something resembling a pineapple upside-down cake. I really wasn’t in the mood to do anything from scratch and make a huge mess…but I did remember having a yellow gluten-free cake mix in my pantry from Aldi. Score!

To back up a bit- last November, it was discovered that I had gluten-sensitivity and had to go gluten-free. Though I feel better, my poor family has suffered because I don’t bake as much anymore. I just haven’t gotten around to buying uber-expensive gluten-free baking items and I tend to have little self-control if I make gluten-filled deliciousness for everyone else that I can’t enjoy ( super selfish, I know). But, when I found these adorable flamingo plates at Target, I knew they had to be mine…and that some yummy, baked good with a tropical-vibe needed to be on them!

The BEST part about this recipe is that the cake mix does most of the work!

The cake mix provides a great base and is essentially the major part of the recipe. But, a few minor tweaks made this my own.

I use canned pineapple, but pretty much just because I had the can in my pantry. Next time, I will try slicing fresh pineapple, which is insanely easy with my Pineapple Fruit Core Slicer( P.S. You can check out my full review of the Pineapple Slicer here).

Drain the pineapple, but reserve the juice in a glass. You will want it for the glaze.

Get your oven all excited and preheated up to 350.

At this point, you will essentially follow the recipe on the box, EXCEPT I jazzed this up a bit with not just any ol’ 2%. Wait for it….

Oh yeah! Coconut milk just adds a little extra tropical punch to this lazy man’s summer dessert.

Beat the cake mix, 2tsp of vanilla extract ( GF for me), 1/2 cup of softened butter, 3/4 cup of coconut milk and 3 large eggs with a mixer ( I LOVE my Hamilton Beach Hand Mixer for jobs like this).

The batter will be thick! Use little helpers if you have them.

Jessie LOVES helping in the kitchen.

After mixing, fold in the can of crushed pineapple. Fold gently. The pineapple should be incorporated, but not completely mixed in, as you don’t want to make the batter too watery.

Spread batter into a lightly greased 8 X8 cake pan. The gluten-free mix only makes a small 8 x 8 pan.  This is the perfect size for me and the kiddos. Mr. L won’t come near it if he knows it is gluten-free. I am working on him, though.

The batter will be thick. The crushed pineapple should only be lightly folded in.

Pop this baby in the oven for about 40 minutes until it hits a nice golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

But, you’re not done!

This cake is ONLY complete with a sweet, fruity glaze. Remember where I said you want to keep some pineapple juice. Remember? This is where it gets important.

Mix 1/4 cup of pineapple juice, 1/4 cup of coconut milk and about 1 cup of powdered sugar in a bowl or squeeze bottle. I prefer the squeeze bottle method because it is so easy to just shake up, drizzle on and store leftover glaze afterward. You can find plastic bottles dirt cheap on Amazon…. or take a note from my playbook and raid your Grandma’s cupboard.

This plastic squirt bottle is amazing for mixing glazes and syrups. They are dirt cheap on Amazon!

Lightly drizzle the glaze over the cake and you will have a sweet, fruity and rich coconut cake treat! It may not be the fanciest looking dessert, but my kids loved it, I loved it…and it didn’t take all night to create! Winner!

 Do you have a favorite gluten-free cake recipe you can share with me? I would love to hear about it!

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