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Taiwanese

Taiwanese pineapple cakes

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

鳳梨酥 · fènglísū

Small, buttery shortbread cases wrapped around a chewy, jammy pineapple filling. Taiwan's signature gift pastry.

Taiwanese pineapple cakes is a Taiwanese pastry, ready in about 2 hours 20 minutes and made with pineapple and unsalted butter. It serves 16 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
40 min
Cook
1 h 10 min
Rest
30 min
Total
2 h 20 min
Serves
16
Level
Intermediate
Calories
178

Ingredients

16 cakes

Filling

Pastry

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Squeeze some juice from the pineapple (opens in a new tab), then cook the flesh with the sugar (opens in a new tab) and syrup in a wide pan, stirring often, until it is a thick, sticky golden paste that holds its shape. Cool completely.

    Stir constantly towards the end so it doesn't catch.

  2. Step 2

    Beat the butter, icing sugar (opens in a new tab) and salt until creamy, beat in the egg (opens in a new tab), then mix in the flour and milk powder (opens in a new tab) to a soft dough. Chill 30 minutes.

    • 8 min

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 170 °C. Divide the dough into 16 balls (about 25 g) and the filling into 16 (about 18 g).

    • 8 min
    • 170°C

  4. Step 4

    Flatten each piece of dough, wrap around a ball of filling and seal. Press into a small square mould or shape into neat rectangles by hand and place on a lined tray.

  5. Step 5

    Bake for 10 minutes, flip the cakes over and bake another 8–10 minutes until pale gold on both sides. Cool, then store airtight overnight to soften slightly.

About this dish

Origin
Taiwan · Well documentedMore food from Taiwan
Dish
Snack · Pastries · Sweets & confectionery
Cooking method
Oven-baked, Simmered
Taste
sweet, fruity, buttery
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Festive & celebration · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with
Pineapple · Unsalted butter · Sugar · Golden syrup · Icing sugar · Egg
Techniques
Baking · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom unsalted butter, milk powder
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

178 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 92 g · recipe makes 16

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 5%
  • Carbohydrate 60%
  • Fat 34%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy178 kcal194 kcal
Protein2.5 g2.7 g
Carbohydrate27.6 g30 g
Net carbohydrate26.4 g28.8 g
Sugars16.2 g17.6 g
Added sugars10.2 g11.1 g
Fibre1.1 g1.2 g
Fat7 g7.6 g
Saturated fat4.2 g4.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol29 mg32 mg
Sodium50 mg54 mg
Salt equivalent0.1 g0.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
103 mg
Calcium
27 mg
Iron
0.9 mg
Magnesium
12 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
62 µg
Vitamin C
27 mg
Vitamin D
0.2 µg
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
49 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Golden syrup: Cane syrup (FDC 167743) used as a stand-in for golden syrup (partially inverted refined cane-sugar syrup).
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Cook the filling until a spoon drawn through it leaves a clear trail — wet filling bursts through the pastry.
  • Rest the baked cakes airtight overnight: the pastry softens and the flavour deepens.

Common mistakes

  • Overworking the dough so it turns tough; mix just until it comes together.

Storage

  • Airtight at room temperature up to 1 week.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

Structure

Pastry

Used in step 2

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 1 h 15 min

    Knead until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe.

  2. Rest · about 30 min

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Bake · about 20 min at 170 °C

    Puffed with golden-brown spots on both sides.

  4. Start to finish: about 2 h 5 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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