Pineapple carrot cake has all the flavours of a traditional carrot cake, but with a flavourful twist - crushed pineapple. This cake comes together so easily and is baked as a sheet cake. No fancy decorating needed!
Jump straight to the recipe!
I have heard about using pineapple in carrot cake and decided to try it. Carrot cake traditionally has a lot of oil in it to give it moisture. But that can also make it kind of greasy. Crushed pineapple replaces most of the oil in this recipe and it works perfectly. The cake has a hint of pineapple, and the perfect about of moisture.
The carrot cake is so fast and easy to make. It's a one layer sheet cake, so no need to layer or decorate. All you have to do is bake the cake, let it cool, and then spread on a thick tangy layer of cream cheese frosting. It's super easy to serve and eat!
The frosting on this cake is my absolute favourite. It has the perfect balance of cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar so that the cream cheese flavour is not over powered, but is sweet. I used this same frosting for my pumpkin cake (which is also a sheet cake).
Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg
- Baking soda and baking powder
- Salt
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar
- Vegetable oil - or you can use canola oil. I wouldn't use olive oil because it has too strong of a flavour.
- Large eggs - should be at room temperature before you start this recipe.
- Vanilla extract
- Carrots - you will need 2 cups of grated carrots, approximately 3 carrots.
- Crushed pineapple - do not strain the water from the can. We want all that moisture.
- Chopped walnuts - buy them pre chopped to make it easier for you. You can also use pecans instead.
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter - you can use salted butter but leave out the extra salt in the frosting recipe. The frosting will be a little saltier still, but will still taste good.
- Confectioner's sugar
Instructions
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Stir the the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Fold in carrots, pineapple, and nuts and then pour the mixture into a 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake for 55 minutes in a 350°F oven and then let the cake cool on a wire rack in it's pan.
Make the cream cheese frosting by beating cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add powdered sugar and salt and mix until combined. Spread frosting over completely cooled cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Tips
- Don't use pre shredded carrots. They are typically dry and we want a lot of moisture in this cake. Use fresh carrots and grate them.
- You can use pecans instead of walnuts in the cake. Don't like nuts, leave them out!
- You can add in 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut if you want. Add it in when you stir in the crushed pineapple and walnuts.
- Don't strain the water from the crushed pineapple tin. We want all that moisture!
Frequently asked questions
You can add in 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut without changing the recipe. Stir it in when yo add the pineapple and walnuts.
You can add ½ cup raisins. Golden raisins would be a nice addition.
Absolutely, just crush up 1 cup for this recipe.
You can store the baked and cooled cake for up to 2 days. Cover and store it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature and frost it when ready to serve.
The baked and cooled cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly in it's pan with a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Bring it to room temperature and frost when ready to serve.
Frosted cake freezes well and up to 3 months as well.
📋 Recipe
Pineapple Carrot Cake
Pineapple carrot cake has all the flavours of a traditional carrot cake, but with a flavourful twist - crushed pineapple. This cake comes together so easily and is baked as a sheet cake. No fancy decorating needed!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (220g) packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (125ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (220g) finely grated carrots (approximately 3)
- 1 cup (195g) crushed pineapple
- 1 cup (117g) chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (58g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioner's sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13" baking dish.
- Whisk flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, combine sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in carrots, pineapple and nuts.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent it with aluminum foil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool fully on a wire rack.
- To make the cream cheese frosting, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add confectioner's sugar and salt and beat until combined. Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Don't use pre shredded carrots. They are typically dry and we want a lot of moisture in this cake. Use fresh carrots and grate them.
- You can use pecans instead of walnuts in the cake. Don't like nuts, leave them out!
- You can add in 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut if you want. Add it in when you stir in the crushed pineapple and walnuts.
- Don't strain the water from the crushed pineapple tin. We want all that moisture!
- Make ahead by storing the baked and cooled cake for up to 2 days. Cover and store it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature and frost it when ready to serve.
- The baked and cooled cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly in it's pan with a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Bring it to room temperature and frost when ready to serve. Frosted cake freezes well and up to 3 months as well.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 150Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 248mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g
All nutritional information provided on ninakneadstobake.com are intended for informational purposes only.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know :)