The first time I made this Juicy Pineapple Heaven Cake, I was frankly skeptical. A cake with only two ingredients? It sounded like a kitchen myth. But as I stirred the undrained crushed pineapple into the angel food cake mix, I watched the powder transform into a frothy, airy, pale gold batter. The scent of sweet pineapple filled my kitchen with a tropical promise. When I pulled the impossibly tall, golden cake from the oven, I was amazed. But the true magic happened after it cooled—each slice was an impossibly moist, tender, and cloud-like piece of paradise. It was a revelation in simplicity and the start of my love affair with this effortless wonder.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You are going to fall head over heels for this recipe because it is the ultimate in deceptive simplicity. With just two supermarket ingredients and about five minutes of active effort, you can create a stunningly tall, light-as-air cake that tastes like a tropical dream. You’ll love that it contains no added oil or eggs from you—the pineapple provides all the moisture and sweetness needed. It’s a naturally fat-free, lighter dessert that feels indulgent, is perfect for potlucks, and is guaranteed to spark conversations that start with, “Wait, you made this with what?” It’s a magic trick you can eat.
Ingredients
- 1 box (16 oz) angel food cake mix
- 1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple in 100% juice (do not drain)
Now, let’s talk about these two stars, because getting them right is everything. For the cake mix, it must be the angel food variety. Do not try this with a regular white or yellow cake mix; the chemical leavening and ingredients are completely different. Angel food mix contains dried egg whites and requires liquid to activate. The crushed pineapple is the other half of the magic. You must use pineapple packed in its own juice, not heavy syrup. The syrup will make the cake cloyingly sweet and soggy. And the “do not drain” instruction is sacred—that juice is the only liquid in the recipe. I’ve tried draining it and adding water back, and the cake lacked flavor. Trust me, pour the entire contents of the can, juice and all, straight into your mixing bowl.(See the next page below to continue…)