Carrot Pineapple Cake

Content… What Makes It Special? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What Goes With It More Cake Recipes to Try Conclusion Watch How to Make It

What Makes Carrot Pineapple Cake Special?

I love carrot cake, but I’ll be the first to admit that not everyone does. It’s usually one of those love-it-or-hate-it desserts. That said, the unique flavors in this carrot cake are moist and tropical, and I’ve found that even the most die-hard carrot cake “haters” will down a slice of it with a smile on their faces. Go ahead and test it out on the picky eaters in your family; you’ll see. 😉

Recipe Ingredients

1. All-Purpose Flour – This pantry staple lays the foundation for this carrot cake. You can use a gluten-free flour substitute if you like but take note that they may affect the flavor and texture of the cake.
2. Cinnamon, Allspice, and Nutmeg – These three spices give this carrot pineapple cake that traditional, warm spiced carrot cake flavor. My homemade pumpkin spice blend is another winner.
3. Eggs and Butter – These guys make for a decadent, buttery cake. The eggs give it a good rise, and the butter makes it ultra-moist.
4. Crushed Pineapple – This juicy tropical fruit takes carrot cake to a new level. Crushed pineapple has lots of juice, which keeps the cake moist and distributes well throughout.
5. Carrots – This root veggie is super healthy and has a slightly sweet flavor that is delicious IMO, but subtle when combined with the rest of the ingredients in this recipe.
6. Cream Cheese – This soft, rich cheese makes the base for our frosting and gives the perfect amount of tang to complement the fresh flavors of this cake.
7. Toasted Coconut – This ingredient is optional, but I highly recommend adding toasted coconut for an added tropical flavor and the extra crunch. It’s sooooo delicious! 😋

How to Make Carrot Pineapple Cake

Prepare to Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F.
2. Grease a 10-inch pan generously with cooking spray and set aside.

Make the Cake Batter

3. Dry Ingredients – Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt and set aside.
4. Beat Eggs – Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the eggs until they are creamy and light – this may take about 2 minutes.
5. Add Sugar – Gradually add the light brown and granulated sugar and continue beating for about 3 minutes.
6. Cream Butter – Next, add butter, sour cream, oil, grated orange zest, and vanilla and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the pan.
7. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients – Dump the flour mixture into the egg mixture and continue mixing.
8. Add the Good Stuff – Stir in crushed pineapple, carrots, and raisins.

Bake the Cake

9. Fill the Cake Pan – Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
10. Bake for about 45-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a tester toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
11. Chill – Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, invert it onto a wire rack and let it cool completely.

Make the Frosting

12. Cream Butter and Cream Cheese – Beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer in a large bowl.
13. Sugar – Add powdered sugar a cup at a time until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
14. Final Touch – Beat in vanilla extract. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Frost the Cake

15. Frost – Wait until your carrot pineapple cake is completely cool to spread the frosting over the top and sides.
16. Sprinkle Coconut– Once you are done frosting, sprinkle toasted coconut on top and around the edges of the cake.

Recipe Variations

1. Nutty Difference – Add toasted pecans or walnuts to the batter and topping right along with the toasted coconut.
2. Carrot Pineapple Bread – Half the sugar and make a healthy quick bread for the perfect snack.
3. Carrot Peach Cake – Oh my! Replace the pineapple with canned peaches. Dice them and squeeze the extra juice out with the same process as the pineapple for a spring celebration.

Tips and Tricks

1. Select the smaller holes on a cheese grater and grate the carrots carefully. Alternatively, you can “grate” your carrots with a food processor.
2. To get the perfect amount of moisture in this cake without going overboard, squeeze out as much liquid from the carrots as possible after grating them. Wrap the grated pieces in a clean dish towel or paper towels and squeeze with your hands. The cake might not cook through if you skip this step, giving you dry edges and a soggy, undercooked center.
3. You can crush a fresh pineapple or use store-bought crushed pineapple for this recipe. Be sure to squeeze the juice from the pineapple, just like you did with the carrots.

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can make this cake 24 hours ahead of time before you frost it. Simply follow the recipe instructions and then refrigerate the cake after it’s cooled. When you are ready to serve it, frost it right out of the fridge, then slice and serve it!

Serving and Storage Instructions

As I’ve already mentioned, be sure to cool the cake completely before you frost it; otherwise, you’ll be dealing with a melty frosting mess. That said, as soon as your cake is frosted, it’s ready to be sliced and served. 🍰

Store leftover carrot cake in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container. It tastes just as delicious (if not even more delicious) served cool as it does at room temperature. If you prefer room temperature, though, you can keep this cake on your countertop. Just know that it won’t stay good for very long left out – only 1-2 days max.

FAQs

What Goes with Carrot Pineapple Cake

This recipe is beautiful as is, but if you want to get a little more creative with your decorations, candied pecans, caramel sauce, and homemade whipped cream can really dress it up. They all taste great with this cake too. ✨

Depending on the weather and time of day, you might also want to serve this dessert with a delicious hot or cold beverage. I love to have a slice with ginger tea or a chai tea latte, but even passion fruit juice pairs well with carrot pineapple cake.

More Cake Recipes to Try

1. Carrot Cake
2. Pumpkin Cake
3. Flourless Chocolate Cake
4. Coconut Cake
5. Vanilla Cake
6. Hummingbird Cake

Conclusion

This carrot pineapple cake is easy to whip up, delicious, and unique, too. So go ahead and give it a try! You may just turn a carrot cake hater into a carrot cake lover in the process. 😁 Which one is your favorite carrot cake recipe? Let me know in the comments.

Watch How to Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”vASqVheP” upload-date=”2022-04-08T07:00:00.000Z” name=”Carrot Pineapple Cake” description=”Carrot Pineapple Cake – A deliciously moist cake loaded with freshly grated carrots and crushed pineapple, topped off with a silky-smooth cream cheese icing. Toasted coconut flakes look oh-so-pretty and add a little crunch for the perfect balance of textures and flavor.” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]

This blog post was first published in April 2017 and has been updated with an additional write-up, new photos, and a video.

This was blog post was last published in April 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.