Elvis Presley Cake

Elvis Presley cake is a delicious, soft yellow cake covered with pineapple glaze and cream cheese frosting. If you’re a lover of all things pineapple then this easy dessert is right up your alley!

Anyone in the mood for a big slice of cake today? (Both of my hands are raised right now.)

This Elvis Presley cake is sure to feed that craving. Soft yellow cake topped with sweet pineapple and cream cheese frosting—it’s delicious!

And this cake is actually easy to make too, which is such a bonus when you just.need.cake.now :).

Why you’ll love this Elvis Presley cake:

• Because it starts with a boxed cake mix, it’s basically foolproof and it’s really easy to make
• The instant vanilla pudding in the cake layer ensures your cake will be incredibly soft and moist
• All of the ingredients are readily available at any grocery store and you probably have most on hand already

What is Elvis Presley cake?

In short, it’s a white or yellow cake with pineapple topping and cream cheese frosting. The cake sometimes also contains pecans, often sprinkled on top of the frosting.

The story goes that this was Elvis’s favorite cake, that it was one his grandmother often made and that he requested it every time he visited her.

You’d think his favorite cake would be something involving peanut butter and bananas, but nope! It’s a delicious pineapple cake—one bite of it and you’ll know that Elvis was onto something!

How to make your cake

• Combine cake mix, instant pudding mix, eggs, milk, and oil in a large mixing bowl
• Beat with an electric mixer until smooth
• Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish

While the cake is in the oven you’ll make the pineapple topping/glaze

• Combine canned pineapple AND THE LIQUID from the can with granulated sugar in a saucepan
• Boil for 3 minutes
• When the cake comes out of the oven, use a long-tined fork (or a toothpick) to poke holes all over the cake
• Spread the pineapple on top

Then you’ll cool the cake completely before making the frosting

• Beat room temperature butter and cream cheese until smooth
• Mix in powdered sugar
• Spread over the cooled cake

Then slice, serve, and enjoy!

Notes and tips for making your cake

• I used yellow cake mix for my cake but white cake is fine to substitute; just be sure your cake mix is roughly 15.25 ounces.
• Don’t use cook and serve pudding! Be sure you use instant pudding. French vanilla is a fine substitute for vanilla pudding mix, the flavor will be slightly different but the cake will still be delicious.
• Just add the instant pudding powder to the cake–don’t mix the pudding with milk as directed on the box.
• The cream cheese and butter in your frosting need to be at room temperature or the frosting could turn out lumpy.
• Similarly, if your powdered sugar is really lumpy (like if it’s been sitting in your pantry for a long time) you’ll want to sift it before you use it to ensure your frosting is free of lumps.

How to store your cake

Uneaten cake can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days.

You can also freeze slices, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.

I recommend freezing slices on a foil-lined baking sheet until firm (30 minutes to an hour). Then you can wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and your slices will remain intact.

Defrost cake in the fridge overnight, on the counter at room temp for an hour or two, or in the microwave until soft enough to eat.

A few more recipes you might enjoy
Pineapple Cobbler
Pineapple Cheesecake
Fruit Cocktail Cake
Carrot Pineapple Cake

Did you make this Elvis Presley Cake? Hooray! Let me know what you think with a comment and a rating below.  And post a pic on Instagram too!  Tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see!

5 from 2 votes

Print

Elvis Presley Cake

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Cooling Time

3 hrs

Total Time

1 hr

 

Elvis Presley Cake is an easy dessert made with yellow cake, pineapple topping, and cream cheese frosting. It's absolutely delicious!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 15

Author: Kelsie

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 15.25-ounce box yellow cake mix*
• 1 3.4-ounce box instant vanilla pudding**
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice DON’T DRAIN
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Frosting

• 8 ounces full fat cream cheese at room temperature
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine the cake mix, pudding, eggs, milk, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
3. Pour into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake 32 to 42 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
4. While the cake is in the oven, combine the pineapple WITH JUICES and sugar in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Boil for 3 minutes, still stirring.
5. Set aside while the cake finishes baking.
6. Set the baked cake on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Use a long-tined fork to poke holes all over the cake, going about 3/4 of the way down into the cake. (If you don’t have a long-tined fork you can use a toothpick and swirl it around to make the holes a little bigger.)
7. Pour the pineapple over the top of the still-hot cake and use a rubber spatula to spread it around evenly (do this gently).
8. Cool completely before making the frosting.

Frosting

1. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium until smooth.
2. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar to combine. Add the vanilla and salt and beat on medium speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy.
3. Dollop the frosting over the cooled cake and use a small offset spatula to spread it out gently. Slice and serve.
4. Uneaten cake can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.

Recipe Notes

• *I used Betty Crocker Super Moist yellow cake. White cake is fine to substitute.
• **I used Jello instant vanilla pudding.
• Just add the instant pudding powder to the cake--don't mix the pudding with milk as directed on the box.