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Chilean Pineapple Cake

Published: Aug 22, 2023 · Modified: May 15, 2024 by Pilar Hernandez · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Versión en español

This Chilean Pineapple Cake brings back many memories because it is my cousin's favorite cake, and he asks for it every year. It was perfect because his birthday is mid-summer, and this cake is fresh and quick to bake.

Chilean pineapple cake, or "Torta de Piña," is a delightful dessert in Chile. It's a sweet and moist cake with a tropical twist, featuring pineapple slices and coconut.Chilean Pineapple Cake

The Chilean pineapple cake typically consists of 3-4 layers of light, moist vanilla cake filled with sweetened whipped cream and pineapple slices.
Torta de piña is a classic children's birthday cake because of its simple and mildly flavored. It is also very popular for summer birthdays.
Chilean Pineapple Cake

Some of my friends always enjoyed this traditional cake and still request it yearly for their parties. Celebrating birthdays in Chile is a special occasion filled with traditions and food.

Like many cultures, celebrating a birthday in Chile often involves gathering with close family and friends. It's a time for loved ones to come together and celebrate the person's life.

The birthday cake is an essential part of the celebration. The cake is typically decorated with candles, and the number of candles corresponds to the person's age. In recent years, themed and customized cakes have become more popular.

Chilean Pineapple Cake

Like in many other Spanish-speaking countries, the traditional birthday song in Chile is "Cumpleaños Feliz." The birthday person makes a wish and blows out the candles as everyone sings.

Torta de Piña is still made at home in Chile but is also easily found in bakeries. Its combination of sweet, fruity flavors and moist cake makes it a favorite among those with a sweet tooth.

You may also like the recipe: Chilean Mil Hojas Cake.

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Torta de Piña

Chilean Pineapple Cake

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  • Author: Pilar Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 1 hours
  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: 16
  • Category: Cakes
  • Method: Oven-baked
  • Cuisine: Chilean
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Description

A delicious summer cake.


Ingredients

Units
For the vanilla sponge cake,
  • 170 grams of butter at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cup of granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs at room temperature
  • 200 grams of all-purpose flour
  • 60 grams of potato starch or cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the filling,
  • 1 large can of pineapples in cubes
  • 3 cups of very cold heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
  • chocolate sprinkles to decorate
  • roasted coconut flakes to decorate

Instructions

For the vanilla sponge cake,

Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.
Prepare 3 round cake pans 9″, cover the bottom with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, potato starch or cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat for 3-5 minutes. It should be creamy.
Butter and sugar batten
Add the eggs one by one, beating until incorporated.
Eggs and butter
Add ⅓ of the sifted flour mixture (you can eyeball it), beat a little, add half of the milk, beat. Add another ⅓ of the flour mixture, beat the rest of the milk with the vanilla. Finally, the rest of the flour mix well but without overbeating. Beat at medium-high speed for 20 seconds.
Batter for cake
Distribute the mixture into the prepared pans; I weigh them to be sure they are the same. Spread with a spatula and bake 25-28 minutes until they are golden brown, and when you bury a stick, come out dry.
Raw cake batter
Allow cooling on a rack in the pans for half an hour. Then, release the edges with a knife and unmold, remove the parchment paper, wrap in cooking plastic and refrigerate for up to 5 days. This helps to make it easier to cut them. They can also freeze for up to 2 months.
Baked cake

For the filling,

Strain the pineapple and save the juice. Chop the pineapples with a knife so they are smaller.
In a large bowl, beat the cream when it thickens, add the sugar and continue beating until it holds stiff peaks.
Filling for pineapple cake

To assemble the cake,

Reserve the most beautiful and even sponge cake for the top layer.
On the tray where they will assemble the cake, put the first layer of sponge cake, soak with ⅓ of the pineapple juice reserved. Spread a layer of whipped cream, place ½ of the pineapple, continue with another layer of cake, repeat, finish with a layer of sponge cake, soak in the juice. Cover with the remaining cream all around.
Cream and pineapple on a cake filled cake
Decorate, cover the side of the cake with coconut flakes—the center on top with chocolate.
Covered with cream ready pineapple cake Chilean Pineapple Cake


Notes

Recipe for the sponge adapted from “Cake love” by Warren Brown.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 418
  • Sugar: 25.9 g
  • Sodium: 185.1 mg
  • Fat: 28.2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 17.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 39.8 g
  • Fiber: 0.8 g
  • Protein: 4.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 121.3 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @chileanfoodandgarden on Instagram and hashtag it #chileanfoodandgarden

Chilean Pineapple Cake Torta de Piña

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Comments

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  1. Sophie says

    September 18, 2023 at 1:11 am

    This recipe was amazing!! Everyone was asking for seconds, the sponge was really easy to make and was easily doubled. This is definitely a recipe I’ll make again and again, thank you!

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez says

      September 18, 2023 at 3:11 pm

      Hi Sophie.

      So glad you enjoy it. Thanks for coming back and leaving a comment.

      Reply
  2. Keri Daniel says

    June 29, 2020 at 1:14 pm

    I made this for my boyfriend. It was for his birthday. He's Chilean. He loved it! The only thing I did a couple things different, but nothing too different. I used half all purpose flour and half cake flour. I used crushed pineapple in between the layers with the juice and then chunks on the top. Oh and no chocolate. I asked him if he wanted it and he said no. It was delish and I am going to make it again when his daughter comes next week to visit. I will probably make the Thousand Layer Cake too. She will be here for 2 weeks. Anyway, thank you for taking the time to post this recipe...I'm sure I will be using it often in the future. ~ Keri

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez says

      June 30, 2020 at 12:44 pm

      Thanks, Keri for commenting. I'm so glad you had a good experience, it's a classic cake and more so Thousand layers.

      Reply

¡Hola!

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I'm Pilar Hernandez, a Latina mom, blogger since 2008, and urban farmer.

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