Carrot Pineapple Cake

A deliciously moist cake loaded with freshly grated carrots and crushed pineapple, topped off with a silky-smooth cream cheese icing. Toasted coconut flakes look oh-so-pretty and add a little crunch for the perfect balance of textures and flavors.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 15

Servings -12

Calories 699kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

Carrot Pineapple Cake

2¼ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
4 ounces butter, melted
¼ cup sour cream, or Greek yogurt
½ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon orange zest, grated
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅔ cup crushed pineapple
2 cups carrots, grated and squeezed
½ cup raisins, optional

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4-6 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1½ cup toasted coconut, optional garnish

Instructions

Carrot Pineapple Cake

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F.
Grease a 10-inch pan generously with cooking spray and set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt and set aside.
Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the eggs until they are creamy and light – this may take about 2 minutes.
Gradually add the light brown and granulated sugar and continue beating for about 3 minutes.
Next, add butter, sour cream, oil, grated orange zest, and vanilla and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the pan.
Dump the flour mixture into the egg mixture and continue mixing.
Stir in crushed pineapple, carrots, and raisins.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 45-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a tester toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, invert it onto a wire rack and let it cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer in a large bowl.
Add powdered sugar a cup at a time until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Beat in vanilla extract. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Frost the Cake

Wait until your carrot pineapple cake is completely cool to spread the frosting over the top and sides.
Once you are done frosting, sprinkle toasted coconut on top and around the edges of the cake.

Notes

Select the smaller holes on a cheese grater and grate the carrots carefully. Alternatively, you can "grate" your carrots with a food processor.
To get the perfect amount of moisture in this cake without going overboard, squeeze out as much liquid from the carrots as possible after grating them. Wrap the grated pieces in a clean dish towel or paper towels and squeeze with your hands. The cake might not cook through if you skip this step, giving you dry edges and a soggy, undercooked center.
You can crush a fresh pineapple or use store-bought crushed pineapple for this recipe. Be sure to squeeze the juice from the pineapple, just like you did with the carrots.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition