Description
Homemade pineapple carrot cake delivers moist sweetness with cream cheese frosting. Rich layers combine tropical fruit and classic spices for a delightful dessert you can enjoy with friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Main Ingredients:
- 2.5 cups (312g) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups (260g) shredded carrots
- 1 cup (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 cup (240ml) canola oil or vegetable oil
Spices and Seasonings:
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cloves
- 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger
- 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Sugars and Additional Ingredients:
- 1.25 cups (250g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 0.33 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (125g) chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened
- 0.5 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners sugar, plus extra 0.25 cup if needed
- 0.125 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and thoroughly coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or butter to prevent sticking.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, meticulously combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg until uniformly blended.
- Separately whisk canola oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract into a smooth, glossy mixture with consistent texture.
- Gently integrate wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring until just combined without overmixing, which can create dense cake texture.
- Carefully fold shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, and chopped walnuts into batter, ensuring even distribution of ingredients throughout mixture.
- Transfer batter into prepared pan, smoothing surface evenly and creating gentle peaks with spatula for attractive top after baking.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, rotating pan midway through cooking process to ensure uniform browning, and tent with aluminum foil if top darkens too quickly.
- Remove cake from oven and allow to rest on wire cooling rack for approximately 45 minutes until completely temperature-neutral.
- Using electric mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until silky and light, gradually incorporating confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt.
- Beat frosting on low speed initially, then increase to high for 2 minutes to achieve fluffy, spreadable consistency.
- Once cake has cooled, generously apply frosting across entire surface with offset spatula for smooth, even coverage.
- Refrigerate frosted cake for 30 minutes to stabilize frosting and enhance flavor melding before serving.
Notes
- Swap oil for unsweetened applesauce to reduce fat content and make the cake lighter and healthier.
- Consider using gluten-free flour blend for those with wheat sensitivities, ensuring the same delicious texture.
- Toast walnuts before adding to enhance their nutty flavor and provide a deeper, more complex taste profile.
- Keep cake moist by not overmixing batter and checking doneness early to prevent potential dryness during baking.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 36g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 70mg