Pineapple Carrot Cake Recipe
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.
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup vegetable oil I use sunflower
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cups grated carrot about 1 medium
- 1 cup crushed canned pineapple well-drained, or about 6 whole slices, slightly processed or very finely chopped (measured after draining and chopping)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup 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 to 2 teaspoons milk or cream
- ½ cup chopped walnuts optional, for sprinkling
Instructions
For the cake:
- Turn the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- 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.
- In a large bowl, beat 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup white sugar and 2 eggs for 2 minutes.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients (2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ground ginger) and mix just until blended.
- Add 2 cups grated carrot, 1 cup crushed canned pineapple and 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract. Mix with a spatula until everything is well integrated without dry parts but don't overdo it.
- Fold in ¾ cup chopped walnuts.
- Pour cake batter in the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out dry.
- Let cool on a wire rack and run a smooth-bladed knife around the edge to loosen any parts that might be stuck.
- Remove from the pan, using the parchment paper as an aid when lifting the cake. Let cool completely.
- Transfer to the serving plate and spread the cream cheese frosting on top. Sprinkle with ½ cup chopped walnuts if wanted.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- Beat 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 6 tablespoons cream cheese in a bowl until very creamy and lump-free.
- Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until you have a thick, very creamy consistency, good enough to spread.
- If needed, thin it with 1 to 2 teaspoons milk . Or add more powdered sugar if you want a thicker frosting.
- It keeps well in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Beat again before using it to attain a creamy consistency.
Notes
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 possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking 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 them too thin, they tend to clump, and you'll have issues integrating them 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.
