One Pan Taiwanese Pineapple Cake

Make Taiwanese pineapple cake at home with no molds using this easy recipe. Read for options on making the shortcrust pastry and pineapple jam filling. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.

Hello Mochi Mommy readers! I have a very special recipe for you today as it has legitimately become one of my absolute favorite recipes I have ever developed. Seriously. It’s time to introduce you to One Pan Taiwanese Pineapple Cake! I know many of you experienced bakers or those very familiar with this dish will want to skip right to the recipe, but I really encourage you all to at least browse through the post because there will be lots of options for modifications. There’s a little bit of a choose your own adventure in this recipe, so make sure you use the right modifications to get your perfect taste!

What is Taiwanese Pineapple Cake?

As the name implies, this is a dessert that is very famous in Taiwan, so much so that you can find it in China and other nearby countries. Called “鳳梨酥” in Chinese, it is not actually a cake like you would find in Western bakeries. Instead, it’s more like a hand pie. Traditionally, they come in rectangular shapes (like a small brick? But tasty?). The outer crust is a shortcrust pastry, in other words, very high in fat. The inside is a pineapple jam that’s kind of got roasty, malty flavors. 

It’s SO GOOD and so addicting. I’ve eaten these cakes in Taiwan but also in China. I’ve also bought them from Chinese bakeries in America and Canada. Although I do think the ones in Asia taste best, if you are trying some for the first time and are in North America, you can pick some up at 85 degree bakeries and T&T supermarkets, if you have those near you.

Pineapple Cake Without Molds?

Now typically, in order to achieve the rectangular/brick shape, you need a mold. You would portion individual servings of dough, squish the dough balls into the mold and stick the filling in the middle.

It’s a bit fiddly to make at home. So instead, I made a one pan pineapple cake! It’s amazing! It’s easy! It makes a bunch of servings at once! And it’s still insanely delicious.

It’s actually based off my pan manju recipe, which is a one pan version of Japanese baked manju. Japanese baked manju is a pastry that was derived from Chinese pastries, so really, it’s just come full circle in the food evolution cycle.

To make it, you press one layer of pastry into a 9×9″ square pan. Then layer the pineapple jam filling. Then put the top layer of pastry on top. Bake it as a whole square, then slice it into rectangles after it’s done! So easy!

Ingredients – What is Pineapple Cake Made Of?

Making the Pineapple Filling

Obviously, the most important ingredient for the filling is pineapple. Now, you can of course use a fresh pineapple, but I’m making your life a whole lot easier by using canned crushed pineapple. You’ll need two 20oz cans, but you’ll have a little left over in the end. Many recipes actually also include some winter melon mixed in with the pineapple. I don’t think it really adds anything to the flavor and only makes the recipe more difficult, so I omit in mine.

One key point: please drain the pineapple as much as you can. You want the filling to be as dry as possible so the crust doesn’t get soggy.

Other than pineapple, the other ingredients you need are just sugar, butter, and maltose. I chose these ingredients based off the packaging of the many pineapple cakes I tried, and I do believe maltose is the key to getting that roasty, jammy, malty flavor. It’s a common ingredient in Chinese baking (often used in mooncakes but also in glazes for roasted meats) and fairly cheap. You can find it at Chinese markets in America or online.

If you’re looking for ways to use up the leftover maltose afterwards, try my homemade white rabbit candy recipes!

What Can I Substitute for Maltose?

If you’re really against getting maltose, you can substitute honey instead. Honey is sweeter than maltose, though, so I recommend omitting the sugar in that case. If you can’t have honey, then corn syrup also works, but again, omit the sugar.

Can I Decrease the Sugar?

Someone always asks me this, but yes, you can. Even if you use maltose, if you really don’t like sweet things, you can omit the sugar too. You may have less of a caramelized flavor, but the maltose will sort of make up for that.

Making the Shortcrust – Texture Options

Okay, onto the crust! The standard crust in most pineapple cake recipes is some sort of shortcrust pastry. It’s essentially like a shortbread cookie dough, but a little less crumbly. Most recipes also include milk powder or some sort of milky component in the crust, which gives it that extra buttery flavor. Now, I’m going to give you two options for the pastry so you can choose whichever one you like:

For Super Buttery, Golden, Caramel-y Crust

This is the recipe as written in the recipe card below and in the photos. The combination of sweetened condensed milk, baking soda, and egg wash on top gives the crust a deeper golden brown color and extra flavor. It’s almost like a pie crust – super buttery tasting and more crumbly than cakey. This is my preferred way to make the crust, but it is not quite exactly like the texture of most treats that I can buy at the store.

For a Tender, Cakier Crust

A traditional pineapple cake tends to be a little bit paler than mine and with a softer crumb. To achieve this, swap out the baking soda for 1 teaspoon baking powder instead. Substitute whole milk or evaporated milk for the sweetened condensed milk. You can also omit the egg wash on top. Instead, you can mix the egg directly into the crust. Add it after you cream the butter and sugar but before the flour goes in. You’ll get a crust that looks more similar in texture to these photos:

Final Tips and Tricks

If you’ve made it this far, you’re well on your way to success. Some last tips I have – When layering the top crust on top of the filling, I find that it helps to roll out the dough into a roughly 9×9″ square first, then transfer it to the pan, as opposed to trying to press it directly onto the filling. You can sandwich the dough between two pieces of cling film to roll it out or even just press it flat with your hands. Open up the top layer of plastic wrap, invert the dough onto the filling, and remove the bottom plastic.

Finally, it’s best to let the pastry cool completely before slicing, as it’ll be less crumbly and get nicer, cleaner slices.

More Asian Bakery Recipes

I hope you like this recipe! If you do, please definitely leave a comment and a rating below, and check out these other Asian dessert recipes:

• Chinese Bakery Sponge Cake
• The Best Matcha Cupcakes
• Black Sesame Layer Cake
• Homemade White Rabbit Candy
• Classic Butter Mochi