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Frosted carrot pineapple cake square sprinkled with walnuts on a white plate with a fork. More cake in the white background.

Pineapple Carrot Cake Recipe

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5 from 10 reviews

Pineapple makes for a very moist carrot cake recipe, and you might just have a new favorite! It's super flavorful, easy to make and perfect to eat year-round, not just for Spring celebrations like Easter and Mother's Day.

  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

Units

For the cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups (350g) all-purpose or cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) common sugar
  • 1 cup (240g) oil (I use sunflower)
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 cups (170g) grated carrot
  • 1 cup (225g or about 6 slices) canned pineapple, slightly processed or very finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (100g) chopped walnuts

For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1-2 teaspoons milk or cream
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnut for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

For the cake:

  1. Turn the oven to 350°F/180°C.
  2. Butter or spray an 8x12-inch (20 x 30 cm) rectangular pan. You can line it with a wide strip of parchment paper, covering the bottom and the two long sides. It will aid when removing the cake. 
  3. In a large bowl, beat oil, sugars, and eggs for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the sifted dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices) and mix just until blended.
  5. Add carrot, pineapple, and vanilla. Mix with a spatula until everything is well integrated without dry parts but don't overdo it.
  6. Fold in the walnuts. 
  7. Put in the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.
  8. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out dry.
  9. Let cool on a wire rack and run a smooth-bladed knife around the edge to loosen any parts that might be stuck.
  10. Remove from the pan, using the parchment paper as an aid when lifting the cake. Let cool completely.
  11. Transfer to the serving plate and spread the cream cheese frosting on top (an offset spatula is a great utensil for this). Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if wanted. 

For the cream cheese frosting:

  1. Beat cream cheese in a bowl with the soft butter until very creamy and no lumps remain. 
  2. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until you have a thick, very creamy consistency, good enough to spread. 
  3. If needed, thin it with a teaspoon or two of milk. Or add more powdered sugar if you want a thicker frosting. 
  4. It keeps well in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Beat again before using it to attain a creamy consistency.

Notes

Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperatures, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!

Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 

Don't overmix the batter: after incorporating flour in a cake batter, we don't want to develop gluten, as it will toughen the baked cake. So mix *just* until it's all well incorporated, but don't overbeat. I like to end mixing with a silicon spatula to ensure the ingredients are fully integrated.

Carrots: use a large-holed grater for better results. If you grate it too thin it tends to clump and you'll have issues when trying to integrate it into the rest of the batter.

Pineapple: you can very finely chop it or process it as I do, but if you like bigger chunks go ahead and make them more noticeable.

  • Author: Paula Montenegro
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Cakes
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/12
  • Calories: 437
  • Sugar: 27.4 g
  • Sodium: 182.4 mg
  • Fat: 24 g
  • Carbohydrates: 52.3 g
  • Fiber: 1.8 g
  • Protein: 4.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 31 mg

Find it online: https://vintagekitchennotes.com/moist-carrot-pineapple-snacking-cake/