Two-Ingredient Pineapple Angel Food Cake

The easy two-ingredient pineapple angel food cake cooks up in half an hour, so it can be ready for anyone who wants to come sit a spell on short notice. The light texture of the

angel food cake

, the fresh flavors of

pineapple

, and the optional fluffy whipped topping make it the ideal treat to offer your guests during the warmer months.

Learn how to make pineapple-angel food cake, and you’ll never be without a dessert you can make in a flash.

Ingredients for Pineapple Angel Food Cake

The amazing thing about this cake is that it only requires two ingredients,

but

you have to make sure they are the precise ingredients listed.

• 
  Angel food cake:
  
  When purchasing your box of angel food cake mix, flip it over and make sure the directions only require adding water. The mixes that just require water actually contain dried egg whites and other ingredients you need for your cake to rise.
• 
  Crushed pineapple:
  
  Be sure to buy the 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple in juice, not syrup. The syrup will weigh down the cake, and it won’t rise properly. Syrup will also make the cake extra sweet.

How To Bake Pineapple Angel Food Cake

While this pineapple angel food cake is very simple to make—you only combine the two ingredients in a large mixing bowl—a few things can go wrong so you still need to be mindful as you’re preparing it.

• 
  Step 1.
  
  
  Mix batter:
  
  Gently stir together the pineapple, pineapple juice, and cake mix until no visible dry spots of cake mix remain. Take extra care to stir all the way to the bottom of the batter where dry spots can hide. Once the mixture is completely wet, stop mixing. Be sure not to over-mix your batter. Also, don’t let your batter to sit out for too long after it’s mixed. The batter will rise rapidly and overflow out of the mixing bowl. This rapid rise will also change the texture of the finished cake.
• 
  Step 2. Bake the cake:
  
  For best results, preheat your oven, wait for it to come fully to temperature, then mix your ingredients together and add the batter immediately to your
  
  ungreased
  
  9×13-inch glass baking dish. (Yes, we said ungreased! Unlike most cakes, angel food needs to cook in a pan that has not been greased for the texture and rise to come out properly.) Then, pop it straight into the oven.
• 
  Step 3. Cool the cake:
  
  Allow the cake to cool completely, or for about 1 hour. Then, add your thawed whipped topping. Be gentle when adding the whipped topping because angel food cake tends to be very sticky. To avoid pulling up pieces of cake as you add the whipped topping, add large dollops of the whipped topping and only spread from the top.




• 
  Step 4. Garnish:
  
  Finally, you can top the cake with pineapple chunks or any type of fresh berries. It’s also good as-is, even without the whipped topping.

Our Tips for the Best Pineapple Angel Food Cake

While it might be a simple cake, there are a few things to know to make it the best cake possible:

• 
  You cannot mix this batter ahead of time.
  
  The batter expands rapidly and will overflow from the mixing bowl, leaving your counter a mess. (Don’t ask us how we know.) Mix the batter just before baking.
• 
  Do not substitute ingredients.
  
  For this recipe to have the right texture and for it to rise properly in the oven, it requires the 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple with juice and the box of angel food cake mix that only requires water. You do not need to add the water to this batter; the juice from the can of crushed pineapples will work in place of the water.
• 
  Don’t overbake:
  
  Unlike other cakes, this one will be a bit jiggly when you pull it out of the oven. That’s OK. It will set as the cake cools.
• 
  Save the cooking spray.
  
  Do not grease your cake pan. This cake will stick a little bit, because that’s just how the texture of angel food cake is. However, if you spray the pan the texture of the cake will be ruined from too much moisture, and the cake won’t be able to « grip » the sides of the baking dish as it rises.




• 
  Cake will cool shorter:
  
  The cake will rise a lot when baking. It will be a bit of a dome shape when you pull it out of the oven, then the center will sink a little. This is normal for this cake.

How To Store Leftover Cake

Chill cake, covered, until ready to serve. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days for best results.