Make this easy pineapple cake…. with its rich, buttery mouthfeel that is so very enticing … and Yeah, it’s eggless! Not that anyone would actually notice if you didn’t tell them!
I’ve been making traditional pineapple cake, i.e., with eggs, for years… it’s my all-time favorite kind of cake. So, soon after I was married, I made it for my parents-in-law, to have with their afternoon tea. One bite, and they were hooked too!
This pineapple cake recipe I’m sharing today is in their honor… They were married 75 years ago on December 31st, 1950. To mark their special day, I wanted to post something they both loved.
Of course, this recipe is a little different from what I used to make for them… It has no eggs! Although they loved the one I made with eggs, I feel quite sure they would’ve liked this one even more! They were fairly strict vegetarians, and wouldn’t eat eggs straight-up… but they were OK with eggs in cakes, muffins, cookies and such. So… it’s not really a stretch to think they would have loved this rich and buttery eggless cake!
Why make Eggless cakes?
Why even make eggless cakes? Well….. Lots of folks, including several of my friends and family members, either don’t or can’t have eggs. How come? For some, it’s a personal preference…. for a few others, it’s because they’re allergic to eggs. So, traditional cakes are naturally off-limits. But an eggless cake? Ohhh…. That’s a complete game-changer…. A whole new world of tasty delights to explore and enjoy!!
So… Off and on, I’ve been playing with this ‘eggless cakes’ idea. I’ve made cakes, muffins, pancakes, etc., with all sorts of ‘egg-substitutes’…. Apple sauce, mashed bananas, chia seeds, flax meal, vinegar and baking soda, commercial egg-replacers… and Yes… even sourdough starter!
I must say, it has been a very interesting and rather humbling process, as I learned the ins-and-outs of eggless baking. I tinkered with recipes, again and again, until I felt I had a winning formula.
Finally, I feel ready to start sharing some of my ‘success’ stories…. beginning with how to make this ‘knock-your-socks off’ pineapple cake. Bursting with pineapple flavor, its moist and buttery richness makes you close your eyes and go ‘Mmmm….’ And for an extra special, decadent touch…. top it generously with light and luscious whipped cream….. ‘Mmmm’, indeed!
Eggless cake… what if your trial ‘flops’?
During my many eggless-cake trials, did some turn out to be ‘flops’? Of course, they did!
Taste-wise, there was almost never an issue…. The texture, though, was something I often felt dissatisfied with…. I wanted the airy and fluffy texture I always got with my egg-containing cakes, but the eggless ones often turned out somewhat dense.
What did I do with these dense cakes? Well…. I certainly didn’t dump them into the trash bin! I hate tossing anything…. So I just turned them into something else…. delicious enough to get polished off with gusto!
I fess up…. I’ve gifted a lot of different kinds of Biscottis during my ‘eggless cake’ trials! Not that I remember anyone wondering why I was on a ‘biscotti-making phase’ every so often! They just happily munched on their crispy treats with their tea/coffee.
Where did my Biscotti idea come from? My Mom, of course… She sometimes made cake-rusk from leftover stale cake. She simply sliced it, spread it out on a baking sheet and put it in the oven to crisp up at low heat…. It was SO much better than the store-bought kind!
I was thrilled that my ‘cake-flop’ Biscottis turned out rather nice too! Interestingly, I discovered that the texture that seemed a bit too dense for a cake, was actually rather perfect for a Biscotti!
Eggless Baking…. More Sweet-Treats
Looking to bake more eggless sweet-treats to enjoy whenever the craving hits? Here are a few recipes I’ve posted….
- Banana Muffins – make them special with chocolate chips and fresh orange peel
- Cranberry Muffins – with tart and gorgeous looking fresh cranberries
- Apple Crisp – sweet, tart, wholesome, AND it’s gluten-free!
I’m planning a post a few more eggless muffins, cakes, cookies, etc., in the coming days… be on the lookout!
Special Diets
This pineapple cake is vegetarian, soy-free, nut-free and sesame-free; you can make it vegan by using your preferred plant-based alternatives for dairy yogurt, butter and whipped cream (if using).
I have not tried making it with gluten-free flours – if you do, please let me know in comments how it turns out. I will be happy to add your comments into my narrative and Recipe Notes.
Whether you just feel like making cake one day, or whether you’re planning a special occasion dessert… this easy to make, moist and rich eggless pineapple cake is a ‘must-try’, in my book at least! For your special occasion event, you can even make it a day in advance… That way, you will have one less thing to do on the day of your event!
Make it, share it… Savor each bite….. Graciously enjoy the compliments that come your way… Do write a review and star rating… Much appreciated!
Enjoy!
Make Pineapple Cake: Easy, Eggless and So Rich
Equipment
- Oven: gas/electric – small toaster oven is not suitable
- 1 9 inch (22cm) round cake pan – an 8 inch (19 cm) round/square pan is OK too; both un-coated or non-stick coated are OK
- Parchment paper – 9 inch (22 cm) round – if parchment paper is not available, its OK; just be sure to generously grease the bottom and sides of the pan
- 1 Mesh strainer – medium sized – to sift flour, and to strain crushed pineapple
- 1 Mesh strainer – small-sized – to sift baking powder and baking soda: a strainer used for straining loose-leaf tea works very well
- 1 Wire whisk – If not available, use a fork to whip and whisk the wet mixtures.
- Cooling rack – wire-grid, to cool the cake
Ingredients
Dry Mixture
- 1 1/2 cups Cake flour store-bought, or make it yourself from all-purpose flour: see Recipe Directions for details
- 2 tbsp Corn Starch if not available, use potato starch, or 1 1/2 tbsp Arrow-root starch
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder check to make sure it is fresh and active: the cake will not rise well if it is not active
Wet Ingredients – all at room temperature
- 1/2 cup Butter – salted if using unsalted, add a small pinch of salt (less than 1/16 tsp) to the butter
- 1/4 cup Yogurt – home-made or store-bought (not too sour made with whole-milk preferred; I do NOT recommend using fat-free kind; Plain, full-ft Greek Yogurt OK too: use 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup Sugar – granulated white/unbleached if sugar crystals are large, grind them to a coarse powder in a spice/coffee grinder; I do not recommend using brown sugar, jaggery, etc. in this recipe – it will change the taste, color and texture of the cake
- 1 1/2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar if not available, use white vinegar, or 1 3/4 tbsp rice vinegar; I do not recommend using red/white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Pineapple extract (essence) if not available, use Vanilla extract (essence)
- 1/2 cup Crushed pineapple: fresh or canned drained in a strainer – save the juice
- 1/4 cup Water or the strained juice from the pineapple
- 1 tsp Baking soda sift and keep ready
Creamy topping – Optional
- 1 cup Whipped Cream home-made or store-bought
- 1/2 cup Fresh/canned Pineapple – cut into tidbits omit if not available
- 2 tbsp Sliced almonds omit if you want to make it nut-free
Instructions
Preheat Oven: at least 15-20 min before you want to start baking
- Turn the oven on: set it to 375F /180C.Before you mix the batter, make sure that the oven is preheated and ready at the correct temperature.
Make the wet mixture
- In a bowl, place 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar.Set it aside for a few min while you prep the other ingredients.
- Prepare the cake pan.– Generously butter the sides and bottom of the pan: if you're using a parchment circle, on the bottom, butter the parchment paper..
- Melt the butter till just melted.– In the microwave: in a glass/ceramic microwave-safe bowl, about 12-15 seconds on Hi– On the stove-top in a small pan on low heat until it is just melted.
- Measure 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple: – Measure after straining through a fine mesh strainer held over a bowl to catch the juice: save the juice to add to the batter as needed. Note: Don't squeeze juice from the strained pineapple – just let it drain naturally
Make the Dry Mixture
- If you're using cake flour, skip this step.However, if you're using all purpose flour, then make this simple do it-yourself 'cake flour':– Measure 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour into a medium large bowl (2 qt/L). – Remove 2 tbsp flour (you can return this to your flour canister)– Measure 2 tbsp cornstarch (to replace the APF you removed) – – Add this cornstarch to the flour in the bowl.– Stir well with a dry spoon to mix.
- Sift the baking powder through a fine mesh strainer held over the flour mixture to catch any lumps
- Lumps get caught in the strainer.
- Mash the lumps with a finger and push the powder through the sieve.
- Mix with a spoon and then sift the entire flour- baking powder mixture twice – the sifting makes it airy and fluffy, and ensures even mixing of the baking powder into the flour.
- Sift the baking soda through a mesh strainer into a small bowl to catch and break up lumps. Keep it ready before starting to make the batter.
Make the cake Batter: Have everything ready to work quickly. Check whether the oven is preheated and ready at the set temperature.
- Stir the yogurt sugar mixture with a wire whisk. the sugar should have dissolved by now.Add the melted butter and whisk briskly for 20-30 seconds.
- Add the crushed pineapple and 2 tbsp of the reserved pineapple juice.
- Whisk again to mix – the butter separates as fluffy little globs – that's OK!
- From this point on, you must work quickly, so that the fluffiness in the batter is not 'lost' before you get the cake pan into the oven!Add the sifted baking soda to the wet mixture and stir briskly with a wire whisk for 5-6 seconds to mix. It will react immediately with the vinegar and the mixture will begin to froth right away.
- Working quickly, pour the frothy wet mixture on top of the dry mixture.
- Gently, but quickly, mix the wet and dry ingredients – do NOT overmix, or the cake will become tough and chewy.Note: While mixing,if it seems a bit too dry, add 1-2 tbsp water or reserved pineapple juice: The batter should be thick, but pourable.
- Pour batter into the prepared cake pan. Tap the pan on the counter 2-3 times to help the batter spread evenly:Note: Do NOT use spatula to level the batter: let it spread by itself – even if it looks a bit lop-sided, it's O , it will settle out once it is in the oven.
Bake the cake
- Check the oven temperature : it should be at 375F /180C.Check the position of the baking rack: it should be positioned in the center of the oven vertically) Carefully place the pan on the baking rack – make sure the pan is centered on the rack: front-to-back as well as side-to-side. Set the timer to 25 min: do NOT open the oven door until the timer goes off!Turn on the oven light (or open the oven door just enough to take a peek – do not open it fully!): check the color of the crust: – If it looks somewhat pale, with some scattered brown spots, it needs to be baked a bit longer. Continue to bake for 5 min and check again: the top should look golden brown – but not too dark.To check for complete done-ness: Carefully Insert a bamboo skewer or toothpick into the center part of the cake, then gently remove it. – If it's 'done', the skewer should look 'clean' – with no sticky batter stuck to it. – If the skewer has any sticky batter on it, the cake needs to be baked for a few more min – maybe about 5-7 min. – Check again with a new, clean skewer – don't reuse the skewer with the sticky batter stuck on it.
- Turn the oven off, and open the oven door. Let the cake sit in the 'open' oven for 3-4 min. – A sudden change in temp from the hot oven to the cold room can cause a cake to 'sink' . – Keeping it in the oven for a few min – with the door open – allows it to start cooling a little before being moved to the cooler room.Remove the pan and place it on a cooling rack for about 10 min.
- The cake will look like it's starting to pull away from the sides of the pan; even so, it might be somewhat stuck near the bottom, where you cannot really see it.-Gently run the blunt side of a knife between the cake and the pan, going down to the bottom of the pan: this will ensure easy removal of the cake from the pan, when you continue as described below. Lightly grease a parchment sheet (with butter/oil), then place it (greased side down) over the cake. Place a large cutting board over the paper, then do a quick 'flip'.Tap the bottom of the cake pan, which is now 'UP!' to release the cake from the pan.Lift up the cake pan carefully: the cake should now be sitting on top of the parchment-lined cutting board. Transfer the 'upside down' cake, along with the parchment paper it is on, to the cooling rack. After about 10 min, carefully slide out the parchment (because it is greased, it slides out very easily!), and finish cooling the cake directly on the cooling rack.
- Do not cut the cake until it has completely cooled.You can cut it into any shape you like: wedges, squares, slices…. your call. I often cut it into wedges – see the picture
- Serve the sliced wedges with tea/coffee. Savor its buttery rich taste and texture.
- But Hey, maybe you feel like going a bit decadent… Well, that's easy… Squirt some whipped cream all over it….and maybe toss some dried cranberries over it too… Yeah, it's going to get a little messy… and not picture-perfect…. So what? It's creamy and luscious….. and melts in your mouth!Enjoy!
Notes
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover cake in a container with a well-fitting lid. Refrigerator:- Use within 3-4 days
- The butter hardens in the refrigerator
- To serve:
- Slice and place slices in a microwave safe dish
- Briefly microwave on Hi : 5-7 seconds, till barely lukewarm
- Do not heat more than 10 seconds – it will become hard and chewy!
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- Good for up to 6 weeks or maybe longer
- The butter hardens in the freezer
- To serve:
- Remove desired number of slices; place in a microwave safe dish in a single layer and thaw on the counter for 20-30 min.
- Briefly microwave on Hi : 5-7 seconds, till barely lukewarm
- Do not heat more than 10 seconds – it will become hard and chewy!
Have eaten the cake but haven’t tried making it.
I love the texture and the taste very much.
Perfect sweet for my taste.
Thank you, Asha! I’m so glad you liked the cake. Hope you make it soon.. 🙂