Carrot Cake With Pineapple - Barbara Bakes™ (2024)

A Tropical Carrot Cake with Pineapple is a light, airy and refreshing summer treat spiced with cinnamon and ginger and dotted with sweet raisins.

This is a lightened-up version of my Tropical Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s sweetened with pineapple and gets wonderful texture from shredded carrots.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This a light bundt cake that won’t weigh you down. It’s moist and tender, thanks to pineapple and shredded carrots. Plus, it’s easy to make ahead and has a gooey cream cheese icing on top.

Update: I’ve updated this post with new tips, tricks and photos to help you perfect this spongy, tropical bundt cake this summer, or any time of year!

How to Make Carrot Cake with Pineapple

Before you even start mixing and baking, the secret to a stunning bundt cake is to grease and flour the pan well. Even if you’re using a non-stick bundt pan, I recommend greasing and flouring first or using non-stick spray with flour.

You’ll use canned pineapple in juice for the sweetness and moisture in this carrot cake. Look for an 8-ounce-can of crushed pineapple, not the chunks or rings.

However, if you can’t find crushed pineapple, you can buy the chunks. In that case, make sure you reserve the juice in the can and finely chop the pineapple into small pieces.

Note: don’t forget to use the juice in addition to the pineapple!

Baking Tips

When the cake is done baking, let it cool for 10 minutes on the counter on a wire rack. This cake will release from the pan better when it’s still warm.

If your pan is too hot to touch after 10 minutes, give it another 5 minutes or until you can comfortably handle the pan.

Cream Cheese Glaze

The creamy white glaze on your bundt cake is easy to make. The most important thing is to make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. If it’s cold, it won’t fully blend with the other ingredients and you’ll have chilled specks of cream cheese in your glaze.

You can warm the unwrapped cream cheese in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. Or, I like to put it in a Ziploc bag and put it in a bowl of warm water for about 20 minutes to warm up.

To glaze the cake, pour the icing over the cooled cake. Then use an offset spatula or butter knife to gently push it down the sides.

Coconut Garnish

I like to garnish this tropical bundt cake with large shavings of toasted coconut.

To toast the coconut, add ¾ cup to a non-stick skillet and toast over medium heat. Stir the whole time. Once you notice the coconut turning brown, remove it from the pan and let it cool completely.

Serving & Storage

Serve the light tropical carrot cake at room temperature so the glaze is nice and soft.

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. To serve, let the cake come to room temperature on the counter.

More Bundt Cakes to Try

Here are some more airy and delicious bundt cake recipes to try:

• Key Lime Pound Cake is citrusy and bright with a sweet glaze drizzled on top.
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is a favorite for fall with a moist texture from canned pumpkin and dots of chocolate chips.
• Instant Pot Coconut Bundt Cake from Pressure Cooking Today is a light and springy cake that we love for Easter.