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A moist and buttery pineapple jam butter bundt cake with a soft crumb and sweet-tangy filling. Perfect make-ahead cake that tastes even better the next day!
I came up with this recipe because I had leftover pineapple jam from making pineapple tarts for Chinese New Year—and I really didn’t want it to go to waste. Turns out, it was one of the best decisions ever.
This pineapple jam butter cake is rich, soft, and wonderfully moist with a tight crumb (just how a proper butter cake should be). The sweet-tangy pineapple jam tucked inside cuts through the richness beautifully. Honestly, it tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have settled in. This has quickly become one of our family favorites!
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
- The cake is soft, buttery, and rich with a perfectly fine crumb
- The pineapple jam adds a sweet-tangy contrast that keeps it from being too heavy
- It actually tastes better the next day (great make-ahead cake!)
- Simple pantry ingredients—nothing fancy required
- Works beautifully with other jam flavors, too
Ingredients and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour – you can swap with cake flour for a slightly softer crumb
- Baking powder – essential for lift
- Salt – balances the sweetness
- Unsalted butter – you can use salted butter and omit the salt
- Sugar – regular granulated sugar works best
- Eggs – must be at room temperature for proper emulsification
- Egg yolk – adds richness and tenderness
- Whole milk – you can substitute with 2% milk if needed
- Pineapple jam – must be thick; substitute with other thick jams like strawberry or apricot
Important Tips for Success
1. Use room temperature ingredients
This is key for a smooth, well-emulsified batter. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to curdle.
2. Cream butter and sugar properly
Don’t rush this step—beat for a full 5 minutes until pale and fluffy. This creates the cake’s structure.
3. Use thick jam only
Runny jam will sink and leak into the pan, causing sticking issues. If needed, cook it down until thick and paste-like.
4. Don’t let the jam touch the pan
Keep the filling centered to avoid burning or sticking.
5. Chill the greased pan
This is a game-changer for easy release, especially for bundt pans.
6. Don’t overmix after adding flour
Mix just until combined to keep the crumb tender.
Variations You Can Try
1. Different jam fillings
Try strawberry, blueberry, apricot, etc. As long as whatever you are using it’s a very thick jam
2. Add coconut flavor
Replace some milk with coconut milk or add shredded coconut.
3. Citrus twist
Add lemon or orange zest to the batter to brighten the flavor.
What to Serve This With
- A cup of hot coffee or tea
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream
- Fresh berries for contrast
- Vanilla ice cream for a dessert version
Storage & Reheating
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 2–3 days
- For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days
- Freeze slices individually wrapped for up to 2 months
- Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge
- Warm slightly in the oven or microwave before serving if desired
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use store-bought pineapple jam?
Yes, as long as it’s very thick. If it’s runny, cook it down first.
2. Why did my cake stick to the pan?
Most likely, the jam touched the pan, or the pan wasn’t greased properly.
3. Can I use a larger bundt pan?
Yes, just double the recipe for a 10-cup bundt pan.
4. Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely! It actually tastes better the next day.
5. Can I reduce the sugar?
You can reduce slightly, no more than 10%. Keep in mind it affects texture and moisture.
This pineapple jam butter bundt cake is one of those simple recipes that really delivers. It’s rich but not overly sweet, comforting yet a little special thanks to that fruity center. And if you’re like me and always end up with extra pineapple jam after the holidays, this is hands-down one of the best ways to use it.
Pineapple Jam Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 216 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 136 g unsalted butter room temperature, plus more to grease the pan
- 150 g sugar
- 100 g eggs from 2 large-size eggs, room temperature
- 20 g egg yolk from 1 large-size egg
- 136 g whole milk room temperature
- 200 g Pineapple jam see notes
Instructions
- This recipe is for 8-inch bundt pan (6-cup capacity). If you have 9-10 inch bundt pan (10-cup capacity), you can double the recipe.
- Get the butter, milk, and eggs out of the fridge 1 hour before you plan to bake to let them come to room temperature. You want the butter to be soft but not melting
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven. For a convection oven, lower the temperature by 20 F (15 C)
- Grease the bundt pan with butter and then coat with flour evenly all over the pan. Tap out any excess flour. Keep the pan in the fridge. This is to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan. I use a homemade cake goop. It works so well with any recipe that requires that I grease the baking pan.
Prepare the cake batter:
- Combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs and the egg yolk, one at a time.
- After all eggs are in, scrape the side of the bowl and beat again until all is well-combined.
- Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on the lowest speed
- Then add 1/2 of the milk, beat for a few seconds, and then another 1/3 of the flour, then the rest of the milk and end with the last 1/3 of flour.
- Beat until all is well-combined
Transfer cake batter to the pan:
- Spoon about 1/2 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Make sure it covers the bottom of the pan and go up slightly to the side. I kinda use the back of the spoon to make a "tunnel" for the jam later
- Then spoon the stiff pineapple jam on top of the batter. Try your best to center the filling so it won't touch the side of the pan. Use the back of the spoon to gently pat it down a bit so it kinda nestles a little bit into the batter
- Cover with the remaining batter. Smooth the top with spatula
Baking:
- Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Start checking at 45 minutes. If you insert a skewer near the center, comes out clean
Cool down:
- Place the bundt pan on top of the cooling rack and let it cool down in the pan for 5 minutes
- You can run a spatula along the edges to help release the cake. Turn it upside down onto a cooling rack. Let it cool down completely
Serve:
- This cake is best served the next day where you will find the flavor has developed and it's really moist.
Storage:
- The cake can be kept covered at room temperature for 2-3 days. It also freezes really well. Once it has cooled down completely, I slice into serving size and I individually wrap each slice with a cling wrap and put them in a freezer bag, push all the air out and seal
- Simply thaw at room temperature for few hours before serving or thaw it overnight in the fridge. You can warm it up in the oven for a few seconds if you like
