Scratch Carrot Cake with Pineapple
A carrot cake made from scratch with pineapple and topped with cream cheese icing. Using brown sugar, spices, pineapple, and walnuts, this recipe creates a luscious handmade carrot layer cake. It’s also a great Easter dessert.
The thought of a laden carrot cake appeals to me. One loaded with carrots, pineapple, and walnuts for crunch.
This cake is moist and delicious, especially when topped with cream cheese buttercream. It’s ideal for spring or Easter, but you don’t have to wait for those seasons to enjoy it.I believe that carrot cake is appropriate at all times.
Hello there! Before you browse, there’s a lot of vital information in this article!includes the FAQ section, which may help you with any queries you have regarding this recipe. Enjoy!
Contents
Ingredient Notes:
Let’s speak about the ingredients in this cake for a minute. (All ingredients are included in the recipe card below.)
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice are the spices you’ll use, and they’re essential since they, combined with the carrots, produce the characteristic carrot cake taste.
Brown sugar: I appreciate how brown sugar is used in this cake since it gives depth to the taste.
Carrots: Obviously, carrots are included in a carrot cake. You should absolutely use finely sliced carrots. (For further information, see the FAQ section of this page.)
Chopped walnuts: These are absolutely optional, but if you want some crunch, toss them in.
Cream cheese buttercream: This isn’t a cake component, but you’ll want to top the cake with some form of icing, and this stuff is delicious on carrot cake. That recipe may be found here: Buttercream cream cheese
Mixing Method Notes:
Let’s speak about the mixing process for a minute.(Exact directions are included in the recipe card below.)
This cake’s mixing process is quite simple. There is no alternative component addition with this one.
You’ll combine the dry ingredients in one dish, the liquid components in another, and then combine the two. The carrots, pineapple, and walnuts will be added at this time.
Thats itsuper simple.
Tips & FAQs:
It certainly does. Carrot cake contains shredded carrots, just as apple cake has apples, pumpkin cake contains pumpkin, and zucchini cake contains zucchini.
I know it’s difficult for people to picture putting carrots in a cake and it really taste wonderful, but it really does!
Carrot cake tastes like a spice cake with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and other spices. It doesn’t taste like carrots, but they do provide flavor. While baking, the carrots soften and provide texture and moisture to the cake.
This cake is moist, and it will cling to your pans if they are not carefully prepared. Make sure to thoroughly oil and flour them.
Leaving out the spices is not a smart idea. The spices, together with the carrots, give the cake its typical carrot cake taste.
Make careful to spoon the flour into the measuring cups rather than pushing it in, since this might result in too much flour and a thick cake.
Use just finely shredded carrots. You may peel them using a vegetable peeler and then shred them with a box grater, being sure to use the thin side of the grater. A food processor may also be used.
Make sure you don’t use the store-bought heavily pre-shredded carrots. Those aren’t thinly shredded enough.
Both are OK here, although I chose light brown sugar. Make sure it’s completely packed into your measuring cup.
You will be using 8 oz. of crushed pineapple and will not be draining it. Make careful to include the whole can, liquid and all, into your cake batter.
Yes, you certainly can.
Yes, you may make this cake ahead of time. Once cooked and iced, keep it in the refrigerated for up to 5-6 days.
To freeze the unfrosted cooled cake layers, cover them in plastic wrap, then foil, and set them in the freezer for up to one month. Set the cake layers out at room temperature to defrost, and keep the wrappings on while the cake layers thaw. Remove the wrappings and add icing after the cake has been defrosted.
If you cover this cake with cream cheese buttercream, it must be kept in the refrigerator. Make careful to cover it tightly so it doesn’t dry out, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days.
This cake is best served at room temperature, but since it must be kept in the refrigerator, lay it out about 20-30 minutes before serving or microwave a piece for approximately 20 seconds.
When a toothpick put into the middle of each layer comes out with a few moist crumbs or clean, but no raw batter, the cake is done.
I haven’t tried this recipe as cupcakes yet, but it should be good. Fill the muffin liners halfway and bake at 350 degrees F instead of 325. Check the cupcakes for doneness after about 20 minutes.
This cake is ideal for spring or Easter, but it can also be made whenever you have a taste for carrot cake.
Carrot cake is ideal for cream cheese buttercream. That recipe may be found here: Cream Cheese Buttercream
Another option is to prepare a cinnamon cream cheese buttercream, which may be found here: Buttercream Cinnamon Cream Cheese
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Supplies and Tools Used:
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisks
- Rubber spatulas
- Hand mixer
- 8 round cake pans
- Cooling racks
Ok lets get to the recipe!
***I write recipes in volume (cup) measures since that is what people in the United States are accustomed to seeing and using. Click the metric button beneath the ingredients in the recipe card to get weight in metric measures. The weights are converted by a software, not by me, and the results are an educated approximation. Please keep in mind that while I prepare recipes in cups, I cannot guarantee that weighing the components will provide the same results.
Scratch Carrot Cake with Pineapple
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Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (Be careful not to overfill the measuring cup with flour. Spoon the flour into the cup rather than scooping it.)
- 1 teaspoonbaking powder
- 1teaspoonbaking soda
- teaspoonsalt
- 2teaspoonscinnamon
- teaspoonnutmeg
- teaspoonallspice
- 1cupvegetable oil
- 1cuppacked brown sugar(I used light brown sugar)
- cupgranulated sugar
- 4largeeggs
- 2teaspoonsvanilla extract
- 2 cups finely shredded carrots (about 4 – 5 medium carrots)
- 18 oz cancrushed pineapple, not drained
- 1 cupchopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Set aside two 8-inch round (2-inch-deep) cake pans that have been greased and floured.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large mixing basin. Place aside.
- In a separate dish, combine the oil, sugars, eggs, and extract. Whisk well before adding to the dry mixture.
- Mix by hand or with a medium-speed electric mixer until barely blended.
- Combine the shredded carrots, pineapple, and walnuts in a mixing bowl.
- Pour into prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees. A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no uncooked batter.
- Set the pans on wire racks to cool for 10-15 minutes before turning the cakes out onto the racks and allowing them to cool fully before applying icing. (For icing links, see the notes.)
Notes
Nutrition
Video:
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