Pineapple Bundt Cake

This pineapple bundt cake is the move when you need a dessert that looks fancier than it actually is. The fluted bundt pan does all the visual heavy work, while the inside delivers a buttery, tender crumb dotted with juicy crushed pineapple throughout.

Cake flour, not all-purpose, is the move that gives this cake its proper bundt-cake personality. The lower protein content yields a finer, more delicate crumb that bears the weight of the heavy pineapple chunks without turning gummy or dense. Subbing AP flour works in a pinch, but the texture suffers.

Lemon extract is the secret weapon here. Two teaspoons might sound aggressive, but pineapple flavor mellows considerably in the oven, and that citrus brightness keeps the finished cake from tasting one-note-sweet. The lemon doesn’t read as lemon, just as a clean, sunshiny lift to the tropical fruit.

The high-low-high mixing technique (cream low, beat high, add flour low, beat high again) develops just enough structure without overworking the gluten. Skip the high-beat steps and your cake will sink and dense up. Skip the low-mix steps and you’ll have tough cake.

Dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar, or drizzle a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and pineapple juice for full tropical commitment.

Pro Tips

• Drain the crushed pineapple very well, almost dry. Excess liquid throws off the batter and creates pockets of wet cake.
• Grease the bundt pan thoroughly, getting into every fluted curve. Stuck cake equals broken pretty pattern.
• Use real butter, not margarine. The butter solids brown in the oven and add flavor that margarine simply can’t match.
• Cool exactly 10 minutes before inverting. Less and it cracks, more and it sticks.

Variations

• Add a half cup of toasted coconut to the batter for a pina colada vibe.
• Stir in a quarter cup of dark rum to the batter for grown-up tropical flair.
• Top with a cream cheese glaze for a hummingbird-cake leaning version.