I can’t help falling in love with this soft, fluffy, and flavorful Elvis Presley cake.
Once you try it, you’ll be all shook up, too! It’s that good.
Featuring juicy pineapples and cream cheese glaze, it’s a yummy warm-weather treat the whole family will love.
What Is an Elvis Presley Cake?
When you hear the words “Elvis Presley cake,” you might think of grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches with bacon.
And while that would taste great, too, that isn’t what this cake is.
The Elvis Presley cake is a one-layer yellow cake with pineapples, pecans, and cream cheese glaze.
It’s similar to an old-fashioned poke cake and is wonderfully light and deliciously moist.
Surprisingly, though, it isn’t overly rich. The chopped pecans are the perfect salty, crunchy complement to all the sweetness.
Some say it was Elvis’ favorite cake, but on that front, we have no proof. It’s still yummy, nonetheless.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious, pineapple infused poke cake:
For the cake:
- Yellow Cake Mix: Save yourself some time and use a box. Yellow is traditional, but you can substitute another flavor if you prefer.
- Milk: Stick to whole milk for the richest flavor.
- Vegetable Oil: To lock in the moisture.
- Eggs: For richness and to help the cake rise.
- Crushed Pineapples with Juice: Normally, I say fresh is best. But for this cake, stick to the canned stuff. You’ll need the fruit and the juices!
- Sugar: Add a bit of granulated sugar to the pineapples to make them syrupy.
For the topping:
- Cream Cheese: For the best flavor, use a block of full-fat cream cheese (not cream cheese spread).
- Butter: Adds a nice richness to the frosting.
- Powdered Sugar: To contrast the tangy cream cheese and make it spreadable.
- Vanilla Extract: For sweet warmth.
- Milk: Only add milk if the frosting needs thinning.
- Chopped Pecans: To sprinkle over the finished cake. If you want to go the extra mile, make candied pecans instead.
How to Make Elvis Presley Cake
Because you’ll start with a boxed cake mix, the steps for this recipe are really simple:
1. PREPARE. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking pan with cooking spray.
2. MIX. Beat the cake mix, milk, oil, and eggs until smooth.
3. BAKE. Transfer the batter to the baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
4. SIMMER. Combine the pineapples in juice with the sugar in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar dissolves.
5. POUR. Remove the finished cake from the oven and poke holes over the top. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then pour the pineapple syrup evenly over the surface.
6. GLAZE. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then, add the powdered sugar and spread over the cooled cake. Finish with the pecans, serve, and enjoy.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Before you begin, check out these tips:
- Add pudding. A 3-ounce box of vanilla pudding into the cake batter will make this impossibly moist.
- Make it extra fruity. Use a boxed pineapple cake mix instead of a yellow cake mix.
- Make it extra nutty. Mix some chopped nuts into the cake, too.
- Chill out. This cake tastes best cold. If you have time, pop it in the fridge to chill for 2 to 3 hours before serving it.
- Turn it into cupcakes. Keep the recipe exactly as it is. Simply use muffin tins instead of a baking pan and bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Not a fan of cream cheese? Top the cake with Cool Whip instead.
- Add extra fruit. Mix some pineapples into the glaze. Or try sliced bananas or strawberries to top the cake.
How to Store
Many poke cakes are stored best at room temperature. But because of the cream cheese glaze, this isn’t one of them.
Try these storage methods instead:
To Store: Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Place the container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Freeze. Freeze the leftover cake whole or in individual slices. Use a freezer-safe airtight container and store it in an upright position for up to 6 months.
Let the cake thaw in the fridge overnight, and enjoy it a second time around.
More Pineapple Cake Recipes
If you love pineapple desserts like me, you’ll appreciate these recipes:
Pineapple Dream Cake
Granny Cake
Pineapple Upside-Down Bundt Cake
Easy Pineapple Dump Cake
Two-Ingredient Pineapple Angel Food Cake
Elvis Presley Cake
12
servings15
minutes25
minutes445
kcalI can’t help falling in love with this soft, fluffy, flavorful Elvis Presley cake. Once you try it, you’ll be all shook up, too! It’s that good.
Ingredients
- For the Cake
1 (15.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 (8 ounce) cans crushed pineapple with juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
- For the Cream Cheese Glaze
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk or cream, as needed for consistency
- For the Topping
1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan generously with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, milk, oil, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes or until smooth.
- Pour the cake batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes on the center rack. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. (A few crumbs are okay.)
- While the cake bakes, combine the crushed pineapples with the juices and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously until all the sugar dissolves.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Then, use a skewer or fork to poke evenly spaced holes all over the top (don’t poke all the way through). Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes.
- Pour the pineapple syrup over the top of the cake and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Set the cake aside to cool.
- While the cake cools, make the glaze. Add the cream cheese and butter to a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, scraping the bottom and sides as needed.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing with an electric mixer on low speed. Once the sugar is fully incorporated, add the vanilla. Beat until it’s fluffy and smooth, adding milk a tablespoon at a time as needed*.
- Once the cake is fully cool, spread the cream cheese glaze over the top. Finally, sprinkle the cake with the chopped pecans. Then, slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- The glaze should be thick but spreadable. It should not pour out of the bowl.
- Turn it into cupcakes. Keep the recipe exactly as it is. Simply use muffin tins instead of a baking pan and bake for 18-20 minutes.
8 Responses
the recipe for Cowboy Spaghetti is delish. will make again soon. next I plan to bake the Elvis Presley cake. I love cooking and enjoy a easy recipe. glad I follow 👍
Thanks so much Patty! Glad you enjoyed the cowboy spaghetti 🙂
Your recipes are so great, I tried a few
Hi Ellen! So glad you’re enjoying them!!
NO way this cooked in 30 min… resetting my time for another10 min!
Hi Eleanor!
The baking time is an estimate but 30 minutes is pretty average for this size cake. Any longer and it might dry out.
If you find your cakes are taking longer to bake, you might want to get an oven thermometer to double check how hot it’s running.
I got one in my last home and was amazed to see the oven was running about 20 degrees cooler than it should be!
OMG, this Elvis Presley cake was friggin dynomite!! Now my favorite cake in the whole world and will make it for every single special occasion!! Thank you so much for making me so happy 🙂 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it, Elaine!
I’m a big fan, too. I’d say it’s definitely in my top 5 cakes.