This dessert recipe for Whole Pineapple Cake is perfect for spring or summer and uses an entire fresh pineapple.

Earlier this month over Easter weekend I tried a new cake recipe that’s tart and perfect for summer! I have been posting a lot of dessert recipes lately {Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies, Chocolate Orange Cupcakes} so I waited a few weeks to share it.

My parents visited us for a long weekend and my mom brought a beautiful and ripe pineapple to enjoy. We thought about making a fruit salad but I decided to try using the pineapple in a dessert recipe instead.

After reading through a handful of pineapple recipes I decided to modify a simple cake recipe using our fresh pineapple instead of the canned version. I ended up using the whole pineapple in this cake, pureeing half of it in my food processor and chopping the other half into small chunks. If you haven’t cut a fresh pineapple before, I like this method from Simply Recipes.

Here are two reasons why this Whole Pineapple Cake is slightly healthier: I reduced the sugar content modestly since pineapple is already super sweet and I used white whole wheat flour. You can substitute white whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour by 50% when baking {I reviewed King Arthur Flour’s White Whole Wheat Flour Guide}. This cake is delicious on its own or topped with fresh whipped cream, Cool Whip or your choice of fruit.

The taste reminds me of pineapple upside down cake except you get a strong pineapple flavor with every bite. The top of this cake got a little bit caramelized and crunchy while baking. K said the edge pieces were his favorite.

I think you’re going to love it!

{Adapted from the following recipe: Easiest Pineapple Cake by Bunny’s Warm Oven}