This delicious, easy Elvis Cake was not only one of the King's favorite cakes, but this popular creamy, fluffy dessert has bits of pineapple, with fluffy pecan cream cheese frosting, and is simply off-the-charts delicious and a great tribute to his memory.
If you're tasting this cake for the first time, the first bite will give you an eye roll of yumminess of pineapple and tropical delight.
This cake recipe is a perfect tribute to celebrate the memory of the King of Rock and Roll's birthday every year on January 8th ( he was born in 1935) and sadly passed away on August 16th, 1977.
Our family loves this cake, and we can totally see why the "King" of rock n roll loved it so much. Our recipe for Elvis cake is super easy to make.
Over the years, we were lucky enough to see Elvis in person back in the 1970s and have his whole music collection, so we are huge fans here.
When you taste and make this easy cake, you will see why learning to make our version of Elvis Presley's Jailhouse Rock cake why it is deemed the best recipe on the web for it.
The cake is super easy, and we usually split it into two cake pans and freeze one, so that's a plus for smaller family sizes.
Of course, most of the ingredients are a true Southern flair for flavor; however, feel free to change and adapt to your own taste and substitute whatever you prefer, it just won't be an Elvis original.
So, if you're feeling "Lonesome Tonight," then make this cake in this legend's memory like we do and enjoy this Jailhouse Rock Cake, you'll be singing "Can't Help Falling in Love With You" with that first fork full of creamy goodness.
Why Make This Recipe for Jailhouse Rock Elvis Cake?
- This easy-to-follow recipe starts out with a simple cake mix.
- It's incredibly decadent, with a moist, melt-in-your-mouth texture
- It is very simple since it starts out with a yellow or white cake mix, so it's a semi-homemade cake mix that turns into a unique yet special dessert.
- All ingredients in this recipe are easily found in local grocery markets
- Versatile with fruits to customize
- This dessert is easy enough for teaching kids how to bake
- Perfect for fundraisers, parties, Game Day, and social gatherings
- If this cake was suitable enough for Elvis, the King of Rock and Roll, and his grandma really made this for him, then it's special, nostalgic, and worth every bite to try!
Ingredients At a Glance: Making Elvis Cake Recipe
- white cake mix to package instructions (or yellow): any brand of cake mix is fine
- sugar: plain granulated sugar
- cream cheese: full-fat cream cheese
- vanilla: pure vanilla extract
- butter: salted butter
- powdered sugar: this is a fine sugar
- pecans coarsely chopped: pecans chopped still chunky for a crisp crunch
- pineapple: for the tastiest results, let the cake chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight. This allows the crushed pineapple glaze to fully saturate the cake and the flavors to meld into a rich, decadent treat
Tips and Suggestions to Make The Perfect Jailhouse Rock, aka Elvis Cake Recipe:
- Make two cakes instead of one big one for smaller families
- Cut the sugar in half for a less sweet cake
- Always use pineapple in juice, not heavy syrup
- Any nuts can be added, even sunflower seeds for nut allergies
- Sprinkle the frosting with crispy, crunchy cooked bacon, another ingredient Elvis loved
- For a richer cake mix, add milk instead of water to the mix, an extra egg, and butter instead of oil
- Any fruit can be used as mentioned
- Add any kind of nuts
- The cake tastes great with just whipped cream if you're not a fan of cream cheese frosting
- Instead of frosting dust with powdered sugar
- Make Jailhouse Rock cupcakes by filling them with pineapple and then top with frosting instead of a sheet cake
- Cool the filling and cake completely before adding the frosting
- For a thinner frosting, add a few tablespoons of heavy cream or half and half
- refrigerate leftovers covered
Pans to Use for Making Jailhouse Rock Cake:
- Sheet cake: 13 x 9 around 45 minutes
- Bundt pan: 10 inch- around 55 to 60 minutes
- Round pans: 2- 9-inch, around 25 to 20 minutes
- Note: Use the toothpick method (place in the cake when it comes out clean, the cake is cooked)
Not a Fan of Pineapple (add a different fruit)
- red raspberries
- chopped strawberries
- blackberries
- peaches, chopped fresh or canned, drained
- mashed bananas
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An Elvis Jailhouse Rock Dream Cake
We love making this delicious cake in the King's memory; he surely was right about this cake.
It's super easy to make and just a dream cake with wonderful flavors.
The one other adaptation I have made is to add some toasted coconut to the top with more pecans to make this a tropical delight!
I have adapted to adding more lots of pineapple and a flowing cream cheese frosting, so this is not quite like the original recipe.
Elvis Presley Cake
Yield: 18
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 50 Min
Elvis the King of rock and roll, loved this Jailhouse Rock cake. Its cream cheese and pecan frosting are perfect for this white pineapple-filled cake!
Ingredients
- 1 package of White or Yellow Cake Mix (any brand made to package instructions)
- Pineapple Topping:
- 1 - 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple with juice, not heavy syrup
- 1 cup of sugar (you can use less sugar if you like your pineapple juice a little less sweet and tart)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Frosting:
- 1 - 8-ounce package of cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons or more of heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2 to 3 cups coarsely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13 x 9 sheet cake pan.
- Prepare the cake mix according to the package ingredients and instructions.
- Pour the prepared mix into the greased pan.
- Bake the cake according to your package instructions, then cool completely.
- While this is baking, make the pineapple filling.
- In a small saucepan, bring the crushed pineapple with juice and 1 cup of sugar to a boil for around 2 minutes or until the sugar is totally dissolved.
- Let the filling cool completely before adding it to the cooled cake or frosting it.
- Using the back handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes evenly in each row of your cooled baked cake.
- Pour the cooled pineapple topping over the cooled cake and smooth the pineapple to the edges to cover the cake evenly.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and softened butter, and beat together until smooth and creamy (this takes around 2 minutes).
- Stir in the vanilla, and a little of the cream and slowly add the powdered sugar until it reaches an easy consistency to spread on the cake. Add more cream if necessary.
- Fold in the chopped pecans, then spread over the top of the cooled filled cake by dropping large scoops and smoothing out the frosting with an offset spatula.
- If desired decorate the cake with more pecans on top or individual slices of cake.
- This cake can be served immediately however we find that refrigerating it melds the flavors together better after a few hours.
- Keep leftovers in the refrigerator covered.
- This cake is great served with butter pecan ice cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Tips and Suggestions:
- make two cakes instead of one big one for smaller families
- cut the sugar in half for a less sweet cake
- always use pineapple in juice not heavy syrup
- any nuts can be added even sunflower seeds for nut allergies
- for a richer cake mix add milk instead of water to the mix, an extra egg, and butter instead of oil
- any fruit can be used as mentioned
- cool the filling and cake completely before adding the frosting
- for a thinner frosting add a few tablespoons of heavy cream of half and half
- add any kind of nuts
- the cake tastes great with just whipped cream if you're not a fan of cream cheese frosting
- instead of frosting dust with powdered sugar
- make Jailhouse Rock cupcakes by filling them with pineapple and then top with frosting instead of a sheet cake
- for a tropical twist on the original add some toasted coconut on top of the cake after frosting it
- refrigerate leftovers covered
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