Pineapple Carrot Cake - Celebrating Sweets (2024)

5 from 3 votes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Cake:

• ▢ One 20-oz can crushed pineapple, drained
• ▢ 2 cups all purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon EACH ground ginger and nutmeg
• ▢ 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ ⅓ cup buttermilk
• ▢ ¾ cup vegetable oil or canola oil
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups grated carrots

Frosting:

• ▢ 8 oz block cream cheese, softened to cool room temp
• ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to cool room temp
• ▢ 3 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ⅓ cup crushed pineapple (optional), drained really well

Cake:

• Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and empty the contents of the 20-oz can of crushed pineapple. Stir several times and allow the pineapple to drain while you proceed with the cake.

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan.

• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.

• With an electric mixer (I use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment), beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined, scraping the ides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

• Give the crushed pineapple a few more stirs to remove any excess liquid, then add the pineapple and grated carrots to the batter. Mix until combined.

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes. Loosely tent with foil, then bake another 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

• With an electric mixer (I use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment), beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and combined.

• Beat in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, followed by vanilla. Increase the speed to high and beat for 30 seconds until fluffy and smooth. If adding crushed pineapple, drain the pineapple really well (I use the back of a spoon to press out the excess juice). Stir the pineapple into the frosting.

• Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Garnish with more crushed pineapple if desired.