While I love, love, love my Decadent Caramel Pound Cake (and I hope you do too!), there’s a new kid on the block, and she is my Pineapple Dulce de Leche Pound Cake. This cake has complex layers of warm vanilla, sun-kissed pineapple, and luscious dulce de leche (caramel). The sweetness of the dulce de leche is balanced perfectly by the tangy pineapple, which itself gives incredible flavor to this cake, while also preventing it from becoming overly sweet. 

The pineapple also gives this cake a very special tropical feel, and a delicious texture to boot. The combination of the pineapple with the dulce de leche is a flavor that you cannot deny is one of the most amazing tropical treats ever.

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The Recipe

Pineapple Dulce de Leche Pound Cake

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This Pineapple Dulce de Leche Pound Cake combines sweet dulce de leche and zippy pineapple for an incredibly balanced, tropical-inspired dessert that’s perfect for all of your special occasions!

• Total Time: 5-7 hours
• Yield: 18 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Dulce de Leche:

• 384 g (2 cans) sweetened condensed milk

For the Cake:

• 384 g (3 c) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 114 g (1/2 cup or 1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 114 g (1/2 c) dulce de leche, room temperature
• 400 g (2 c) granulated sugar
• 6 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla or 1/2 vanilla bean
• 240 g (1 c) crushed pineapple

For the Pineapple Vanilla Simple Syrup

• 125 g (1/2 c) water
• 100 g (1/2 c) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp pineapple juice

For the Dulce de Leche (Caramel) Glaze

• 156 g (2/3 c) dulce de leche, room temperature
• 120 g (1 c) confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1–2 tbsp whole milk

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Instructions

To Make the Dulce de Leche:

1. Remove labels from each can and place them in the bottom of the pot on their sides.
2. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the cans. There should be at least 3” of water over the cans to start.
3. Bring the water to a boil, then quickly reduce to low heat. Cover the pot with a lid and continue cooking on low heat for 2-3 hours, checking every 30 minutes to ensure that there is at least 2” of water over the top of the cans. 
4. After 2-3 hours, carefully remove the cans from the water. They will be hot! Allow them to come to room temperature on the countertop, then place in the refrigerator to cool completely. Do not open until after refrigeration.

To Make the Cake:

1. Turn on your oven to a true 325°F. A true 325°F is necessary in order to get a great bake on this cake. You can check your oven with an oven thermometer.
2. Place butter and dulce de leche into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Set aside.
3. Place the granulated sugar and vanilla beans in a medium bowl or deli cup. Either massage the vanilla beans into the granulated sugar with your fingers, or close the deli cup with a lid and shake to your heart’s content. This releases the vanilla essence into the granulated sugar. Set aside.
4. Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.
5. Mix the butter and dulce de leche together on medium speed until they combined and smooth. Scrape the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing; this is very important for this recipe because the dulce de leche will tend to stick to the bowl. 
6. Add the vanilla-infused sugar and cream together until light and fluffy.
7. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each one until it is fully incorporated before you add another egg. Scrape the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
8. If using vanilla extract, add it after the eggs are fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl and then mix until the vanilla extract is fully incorporated. If you are using vanilla bean, you can skip this step.
9. Add half of the sifted flour mixture and mix until nearly incorporated.
10. Add all of the pineapple and mix until nearly incorporated.
11. Add the other half of the sifted flour mixture and mix until nearly incorporated. Use a stiff spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and  gently fold together the batter until it is fully mixed and smooth-ish (the pineapple will prevent the batter from being completely smooth).
12. Prepare a 10- or 12-cup bundt pan as you normally would. I prefer butter and flour, but if you’re using a baking spray, use a pastry brush to spread an even, thin layer over the inside of the bundt pan.
13. Place the prepared batter into the bundt pan and gently tap the pan on the countertop several times to get rid of any air bubbles and to help the batter find its way into the intricate details of the bundt pan.
14. Place the bundt pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 325°F for 65-75 minutes. The cake is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 212°F.
15. Remove the cake from the oven to a cooling rack. Wait ten minutes, then invert the cake onto the cooling rack to cool completely.

To Make the Simple Syrup:

1. Place the granulated sugar, water, pineapple juice, and fine sea salt in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat once all of the solids have dissolved. The simple syrup will be watery.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the pure vanilla extract. Place in a heat-resistant container and set aside to cool completely.

To Make the Dulce de Leche Glaze:

1. Place the room-temperature dulce de leche in a medium bowl. Whisk with a small whisk until it is smooth.
2. Add the confectioner’s sugar, fine sea salt,  and 1 tablespoon of whole milk. Stir until the mixture is fully incorporated. If necessary, add up to one more tablespoon of milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. The final glaze should have the consistency of thick honey.
3. Once the cake and simple syrup are completely cooled, use a pastry brush to brush the simple syrup over the entire cake. Then, pour the glaze over the cake and enjoy!

Notes

• For the dulce de leche, the depth of color and flavor is dependent upon how long the sweetened condensed milk remains in the hot water. For a deeper, caramel flavor and color, allow the condensed milk to remain for the full three hours. Two hours will yield a lighter (but still delicious) dulce de leche.
• Now that you have the recipe, you’re ready to roll! But, if you want the recipe and the tips for perfect execution, take a look at the resources that I’ve provided for you, below! Put on something cozy, grab a cup of coffee, and settle in to learn how to make this cake both picture-perfect and undeniably delicious.

• Author: Shani
• Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 65-75 minutes
• Category: Dessert

Pineapple Dulce de Leche Cake Ingredients

Recipe tinkerers, unite! By reading this section, you’ll learn some of the important baking science in this recipe, which will help understand how to personalize this recipe to a degree. While I don’t recommend wholesale changes to an existing recipe, there are always fun touches that you can add to make it your own! Read on to learn more!

All-Purpose Flour: I love the pleasantly plump texture of a good pound cake, and this Pineapple Dulce de Leche Pound Cake is no different. That beautiful texture largely comes from a higher-protein all-purpose flour. I find that lower-protein cake flour doesn’t give the same rise and texture to pound cakes, so that is why I don’t use it in mine. My favorite all-purpose flours for pound cakes are King Arthur Baking’s All-Purpose Flour and Bob’s Red Mill’s All-Purpose Flour.

Baking Soda: This cake contains loads of pineapple, so I chose baking soda for the leavener. Baking soda needs acid to activate, and the acid in the pineapple is a boss for this activation.

Kosher Salt: Salt is very important in any dessert; it balances the sugar and keeps the dessert from becoming overly sweet. It doesn’t take a lot of salt to balance the sugar in a cake recipe, so measure this ingredient very carefully. If you’re using table salt or fine sea salt for this recipe, make sure to cut the amount in half. Whatever you do, don’t skip the salt in this particular recipe. Without it, all of the sugar (from the dulce de leche, the naturally occurring sugar in the pineapple, and the granulated sugar) will make this cake way. too. sweet.

Unsalted Butter: As with most pound cakes, butter has a prominent role in this cake! It gives an unmistakably characteristic and buttery flavor, but that’s not all! In addition to that special flavor, the creaming process creates the absolutely necessary air pockets that help this cake to rise. Additionally, the fats in the butter are needed to tenderize the powerhouse protein molecules in your flour and egg whites. This ingredient does a lot of work here! Use good butter for this cake, and make sure that it’s room temperature before you begin. I set my butter out for at least two hours before baking time. If you don’t have two hours, 10-20 minutes in your waistband or pocket (or, as my mother would say, in your bra over your heart) will do just fine.

Dulce de Leche: When velvety dulce de leche meets creamy butter, they whip together into a toffee-colored cloud that’s ridiculously smooth and rich. When the vanilla-speckled sugar joins the party, the mixture transforms into a light, airy blend that holds onto those toasted caramel notes in every tiny bubble. This enhanced creaming process creates a uniquely tender crumb in the finished cake, with each bite delivering subtle hints of rich caramel that weave through every slice.

Granulated Sugar: The sugar in this recipe adds a nice sweetness to this cake, and it also helps with caramelization! That gorgeous crust on the outside of your cake is largely due to the granulated sugar in this recipe!

Eggs: The fatty yolks add flavor to this amazing cake, while the protein-rich egg whites assist with the texture and rise. Be sure to use large chicken eggs for the best results.

Vanilla Bean Pod: The mighty vanilla bean pod does so much in this cake. It truly plays above its weight and adds beautiful warmth and vanilla flavor. If you’re substituting vanilla extract, use a tablespoon. You won’t get the full vanilla flavor that I intended with this recipe, but it will still be over-the-top amazing.

Techniques for the Best Cakes

Who among us wants to learn how to consistently make the most amazing cakes? Well, lean in dear BB, because that’s what this section is about! Here at BwB, I love love love when you come and grab a recipe, but the real magic happens when you learn how to master a technique, and then you can use that technique in every pound cake you ever make. 

That’s why I’m giving you the following links! They cover so many fun techniques that will take your baking to the next level, and will allow your confidence to soar.

• My Favorite Bundt Pans
• Sifting: Quick Technique, Huge Impact
• Meet Your Kitchen BFF–Your Digital Kitchen Scale!
• Technique Tips for the Best Pound Cakes
• How to Cream Butter and Sugar (With New Video!)
• Baking 101: How to Measure Ingredients
• How to Grease a Bundt Pan
• The Best Tools for Perfect Pound Cakes
• Knowing When to Stop a Technique
• Begin with Butter Home Baking Academy | Perfect Pound Cakes Class!

These resources are super helpful to help you build consistency and confidence on your baking journey. Happy reading!

But wait! There’s more! Grab your coffee or a glass of wine and get ready to check out my favorite equipment!

Important Tools

Guess what? Begin with Butter has its own Amazon Storefront, where you can find all of the amazing equipment that I used in this Pineapple Dulce de Leche Pound Cake! Want even more specific product recommendations? Check out the product links, below.

I do get paid a commission when you purchase, but these are the tools that I use all the time in my own kitchen.

If you have these tools already, great! Think of this as a checklist to help you build the confidence that you’ll need to execute this cake!

• Taylor Oven Thermometer
• ThermoWorks Square Dot Thermometer
• Ozeri Pronto Digital Food Scale
• OXO Digital Food Scale
• KitchenAid Hand Mixer
• KitchenAid Stand Mixer 
• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set
• Deli Containers for Prep
• OXO Spatula Set
• Sifter
• My Absolute Favorite Pound Cake Pans

This delectable caramel cake belongs on your tables this season (and every season afterwards!). It’s simultaneously sweet and tangy, rich and vibrant, decadent and bright. These contrasting flavor profiles create an absolutely incredible cake experience. 

With this recipe, and the recommended tips and tools in this article, you can’t help but it this one out of the park. But I’m also here if you need help! Email me at bakingbestie@beginwithbutter.com with your baking questions and get help with the “sticky” points of this recipe. And, once you’ve made it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @beginwithbutter! I love to share your successes!

See you tomorrow for Day 5 of the Twelve Days of Pound Cake!

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