Carrot Pineapple Cake

My first homemade carrot cake recipe ever had pineapple. That was ages ago, literally.

Then I forgot about it and moved on to other recipes like this super moist layer carrot cake or the ginger carrot cake that was my favorite for a few years.

It was not until a few months ago that I started testing some vintage recipes again.

Good thing I did! This cake is phenomenal. Super moist with a dreamy flavor.

The addition of pineapple makes it unique. The walnuts add a nice crunch and can be added to the batter or sprinkled on top before baking.

So, a new carrot cake recipe that is not so new. But it is amazing and foolproof!

Sometimes, there can never be too many carrot cake recipes in our files, right?

Ingredient list

• Carrots: grate them at the last moment so they don't release juices. And I recommend a large-holed grater or a food processor.
• Pineapple: canned is the best option. It has a unique flavor and is available year-round.
• Sugars: the mix of both sugars is wonderful. But you can use only one if that's all you have. Just make sure you add both quantities.
• Vegetable oil: I use a neutral one like sunflower oil. But you can also use coconut, canola, and olive.
• Eggs: fresh, large.
• All-purpose flour.
• Baking powder and baking soda: are used as leaveners to help the cake rise, so make sure they aren't expired. 
• Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
• Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper. 
• Spices: I think cinnamon (I like Frontier Vietnamese cinnamon and Simply Organic Ceylon cinnamon) and ginger (such as Mc Cormick's ground ginger) are basic for the flavor of this cake, but feel free to add some ground nutmeg and/or allspice. They all work great together.

See the recipe card towards the end of this post for quantities.

Cream cheese frosting

I use a simple cream cheese frosting because together with pumpkin it makes the best cake possible.

It's easy to make (mix powdered sugar with butter and cream cheese), keeps well in the refrigerator for several weeks, and there are usually some leftovers.

This is the same frosting used to fill and frost other favorite bakes like the Red Velvet Bundt Cake, the wonderful Hummingbird Layer Cake, or our decadent Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.

How much frosting? That's up to you! I find that a thick layer is always a good idea. So let your sweet tooth decide.

Skip the frosting

If you're not a cream cheese frosting person (not judging!), this cake is amazing on its own.

And easier to transport and eat without cutlery.

If serving it plain, I like to sprinkle the walnuts on top of the cake batter instead of mixing them in. It creates a wonderful crunchy top.

Storing

• Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature.
• Wrap the cake in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out.
• Store the unfrosted cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Alternatively, you can freeze the cake (before frosting) for up to 3 months. For this, I recommend double wrap, first in plastic and then in foil.
• To thaw a frozen cake, remove it from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for a few hours until it reaches room temperature. Alternatively, you can thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
• For storing frosted leftovers, I recommend using an airtight container so the topping doesn't get crushed by the wrapping.