Published: · Updated: by Stephanie Simmons
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Pineapple Carrot Cake is ultra fluffy and moist, and is flavored with fresh carrots, juicy pineapple, and cozy spices like cinnamon and ginger. Top it all off with a silky cream cheese frosting for the perfect springtime cake!
this recipe
Allow me to turn you into a Carrot Cake lover – no, wait, hear me out! This homemade carrot cake recipe is moist and fluffy, perfectly spiced, and packed with carrot and pineapple. And yes, you can even add nuts, raisins, and/or coconut if that floats your boat! (Noted in “recipe variations” at the end of the post.) Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this Carrot Cake recipe:
- Fluffy Cake Layers – The layers of this cake have an incredibly plush texture! You’d never know there’s no butter in this cake – it’s so moist!
- Pineapple & Carrot Duo – Pineapple goes beautifully in carrot cake – it adds a bright flavor to compliment the carrots and cozy spices, and adds moisture! This is truly the best carrot cake recipe you’ll ever try.
- Silky Cream Cheese Frosting – I’m sharing a tip I’ve recently learned to ensure your cream cheese frosting is silky – never weepy! This frosting is ultra delicious and the perfect finishing touch to this spring dessert.
Ingredient Overview:
- Carrots – Be sure to grate carrots finely – on a box grater, there are large holes on one side, and small on the other side. Use the small holes, or you’ll have awkwardly large pieces of carrot in your cake. I don’t recommend using a bag of pre- shredded carrot, as the pieces will be too large.
- Pineapple – We’re using canned crushed pineapple here so there aren’t awkwardly large chunks of pineapple either!
- All-Purpose Flour – Spoon & level your flour for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly in will lead to too much flour.
- Vegetable Oil – Vegetable oil keeps this cake super moist! (Seriously – I’ve had a test slice in my fridge for a week, and it’s still pretty dang good!)
- Vanilla extract – Use real vanilla extract for best results.
- Eggs – Use large eggs, at room temperature.
- Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar – there’s no need to sift this for your frosting! As long as you mix everything in as directed, it really doesn’t need to be sifted.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Dairy-free – Great news! This cake is already dairy-free. To make the frosting dairy-free, use your favorite dairy-free butter and cream cheese.
- Gluten-free – I haven’t tested a gluten-free version of this cake, but I’d start with a trusted 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour. Let me know if you do try it!
- Mix-Ins – See notes under “recipe variations” towards the bottom of this post for info on adding nuts and/or raisins to this cake.
How to Make this Pineapple Carrot Cake Recipe:
Step 1: Make the Cake Batter. Combine the oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the dry ingredients, then fold in the carrots and pineapple.
Step 2: Bake the Cake Layers. Divide the batter into three prepared 9-inch cake pans and bake as directed in the recipe card below.
Step 3: Make the Frosting. Cream the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer or stand mixer, then mix in the powdered sugar and remaining ingredients. Mix in the softened, cubed cream cheese last. This helps ensure that the frosting won’t turn out weepy like cream cheese frosting tends to. See more in FAQs below.
Step 4: Frost the Cake. Place one cake layer on your cake plate or cake stand and brush with the pineapple simple syrup (optional), then frost with 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Repeat with the next layer, then add the top layer upside down (for a perfectly flat top!) and frost the top and sides of the cake in a light crumb coat. Chill for 15-30 minutes, then apply the remaining frosting. See decorating tools in the “special tools” section below.
Now for the grand finale, we dig in! This is truly the BEST carrot cake I’ve ever had, and I know you’ll feel the same way. Happy baking, and Happy Easter!
Serving + Storing this Recipe:
Let cake chill in the fridge about 20-30 minutes or up to overnight before slicing and serving. If chilling overnight, let it sit out for 30 minutes or so so the frosting isn’t so solid from being chilled. Store leftovers in an airtight container (press plastic wrap over the cut portion of the cake) in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Expert Success Tips:
- Don’t Over Mix – Mix just until the last streaks of dry ingredients disappear into the batter.
- Don’t Over Bake – Follow the doneness indicators given in the recipe card below to avoid over baking.
- Kitchen Scale– A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
FAQs:
Can I halve this recipe?
Yes! Bake in two 8-inch or 9-inch round pans, or one 9×9 square pan. It will take less time to bake in the rounds than I’ve indicated below, and more time in the square.
Can I bake this in a different pan?
Yes, you can bake the full quantity of batter in 3 8-inch pans. They’ll need to bake a bit longer. You can also bake the full quantity of batter in a 9×13 pan, starting with a similar bake time to what I’ve given, adding a few more minutes at a time until done.
Why do you mix the cream cheese into the frosting last?
I recently learned this trick! It’s because sugar is hydroscopic, meaning it attracts water, so dissolving it (mixing it well) into the butter first helps prevent it from drawing moisture out of the cream cheese (it has a moisture content of 55%!), making the frosting too soft or weepy.
Do I have to line my pans with parchment paper?
Yes! These cakes are very moist and will stick a bit if you skip this step.
Can I freeze this cake?
Yes. You can wrap the baked & cooled cake layers in plastic wrap, then seal tightly in ziploc bags. Freeze for 1-2 months, and thaw at room temperature before frosting.
Can I make this recipe into carrot cake cupcakes?
Yes, I think that would work fine. Fill liners 2/3 full and bake, starting at 10-12 minutes and going up to 16-20, checking for doneness in the same way indicated in the recipe card.
Recipe Variations:
- Nuts – Add 3/4 to 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to your carrot cake, if desired.
- Raisins – Add 3/4 to 1 cup of golden raisins, if desired.
- Coconut – Add 3/4 to 1 cup of shredded coconut, if desired.
Special Tools:
- Cake Pans –These are my absolute favorite9-inch cake pans! I’ve had them for 6+ years and use them for every cake recipe, and they are still in great shape.
- Offset Spatula–Offset spatulasmake frosting a cake so easy! They can also be used for spreading cake and brownie batters evenly.
- Cake Turntable– If you make at least a few cakes a year,a cake turntablemakes the frosting process a breeze!
More Easter Recipes to Love:
- Ultra Plush Lemon Loaf
- Classic Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce
- Blueberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
- Restaurant-Level Stuffed French Toast
- Key Lime Pie Bars
More Cake Recipes to Love:
- Mini Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Raspberry Lemon Crumb Cake
- Perfect White Birthday Cake
- Salted Butterscotch Crunch Cake
- Mini Chocolate Cake
- Peach Cobbler Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
- Mojito Cake
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Pineapple Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
This Pineapple Carrot Cake is ultra fluffy and moist, and is flavored with fresh carrots, juicy pineapple, and cozy spices like cinnamon and ginger. Top it all off with a silky cream cheese frosting for the perfect springtime cake!
5 from 40 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert, Easter
Keyword: Easter Cake, Carrot Cake, Pineapple Cake
Prep Time: 1 hour hour
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 to 20 slices
Calories: 1035kcal
Author: Stephanie Simmons
Ingredients
For the Pineapple Carrot Cake
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed 210 grams
- 1 cup granulated sugar, packed 204 grams
- 1 and 1/2 cups vegetable oil 345 mL
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled 260 grams
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 and 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ginger
- pinch of salt
- 3 cups finely grated carrot 5-6 large carrots, 300 grams
- one 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained 226 grams
- optional mix-ins: 1 cup golden raisins, 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, 1 cup shredded coconut
Pineapple Simple Syrup (Optional)
- 1/3 cup reserved pineapple juice from crushed pineapple See note
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar 68 grams
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 and 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp salted butter, softened at room temperature 367 grams
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature use full-fat blocks, 454 grams
- 7 cups to 7 and 2/3 cups powdered sugar 910 grams (7 cups) to 997 grams (7 and 2/3 cups)
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon, or more to taste
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Prep: Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease (i use shortening) & line three 9-inch round cake pans with parchment rounds, greasing over the parchment and flouring the entire inside of the pan, tapping out the excess. Place the pineapple in a sieve to drain. I do this over a glass measuring cup to reserve the liquid for a pineapple simple syrup. Grate your carrots.
Make the Cake Batter: Add the eggs to a large mixing bowl and beat with mixer for 30 seconds on medium, until they're beaten. Add sugars and beat on medium high until light and fluffy, 1 minute. Whisk in the oil and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Stir in the grated carrot and drained pineapple.
Bake: Divide batter between your three prepared pans. Bake for 22-26 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center will pull out moist crumbs, but shouldn't have wet batter. Let cakes cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes before inverting to cool completely.
Total batter weight is about 1660 grams, so add 553 grams of batter to each pan.
Make the Pineapple Simple Syrup (Optional): Add the reserved pineapple juice and equal parts sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to low, and whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved. This will only take a few minutes. Set in fridge to cool.
Make the Frosting: Beat butter in a large mixing bowl on high speed until creamy – 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, mixing between each until creamy. Add 1-2 tbsp of heavy cream to help things come together. Add vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt and mix. Add cubed room temperature cream cheese, and mix well. (Adding this last prevents a weepy frosting – see more in blog post). Taste and adjust spice or powdered sugar as desired.
Assemble the Cake: Place one cake layer on a cake stand and brush with a light layer of pineapple simple syrup, then frost with 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting. Repeat with the next layer, then add the top layer upside down (for a perfectly flat top!) and frost the top and sides of the cake in a light crumb coat. Chill for 15-30 minutes, then apply the remaining frosting. See decorating tools in the "special tools" section above.
Serve & Store: Let cake chill in the fridge about 20-30 minutes or up to overnight before slicing and serving. If chilling overnight, let it sit out for 30 minutes or so so the frosting isn't so solid from being chilled. Store leftovers in an airtight container (press plastic wrap over the cut portion of the cake) in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Notes
Note: Just be sure to use equal parts sugar to however much pineapple juice you have – 1/2 cup sugar to 1/2 cup juice, 1/3 to 1/3, and so on.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 1035kcal | Carbohydrates: 134g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 754mg | Potassium: 301mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 113g | Vitamin A: 6168IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 226mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments
Elizabeth says
BEST CAKE EVER!! I requested this cake for my birthday and my wonderful Aunt took on the challenge. She followed the recipe and directions for adding golden raisins and walnuts, which turned out perfectly. This was by far the most delicious cake I have ever eaten and I will be enjoying this cake every birthday from here on out!Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Elizabeth! Thanks so much for the rave review – I greatly appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. Happy baking!
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Patrizia Sgambelluri says
Excellent recipe!! Everyone loved it!Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Patrizia!
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Kelly says
Definitely a 5 star recipe!!! This cake was easy to make and turned out absolutely amazing, all my Easter guests loved it too.Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Kelly! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
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Natalie says
Tried this recipe for Easter, it was so good and easy to make.Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad to hear you enjoyed this cake, Natalie!
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Pam says
I made this cake for my mother in laws 84th birthday and it was amazing!!! Everybody loved it! Only thing I did differently was adding some cinnamon extract that I had made. This recipe is a keeper. Yum thank you @ 😊Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad to hear this, Pam! Thank you for your kind words.
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Jaci says
Absolutely amazing!!! My first time making a homemade carrot cake (to be honest, I’ve never been a fan of carrot cake but it’s my boyfriend’s favorite) and it was SOOO yummy! I originally found the recipe on TikTok. Perfectly moist… not too sweet and not too spice-cake like. I assembled a carrot rose out of large carrot peels for the top and it turned out beautiful.
The only thing is I forgot to add the 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the batter since it wasn’t listed in the instructions. It still turned out great but I will definitely remember that next time.Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad you enjoyed this cake, Jaci! Thanks for noting the vanilla isn’t in the directions – my apologies! I will get that typo fixed right now. Happy baking!
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Ciara says
Can I make this cake recipe in two pans instead of three ! If yes the same recipe I will divided in the two pans or I make in each pan one recipe! Hope to understand my question 🙋♀️ 🥹
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Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Ciara! You could bake this cake in two 8-inch round pans or two 8-inch square pans. Or, you can bake it in one 9×13 inch pan Enjoy!
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Lynne Lee says
Wait this comment doesnt make sense! In your recipe, you say divide it in 3 prepared 9 inch pans. I prepared 3 8-inch rounds but this hardly fills up 2 a quarter of an inch. Im just about to put it in the oven. Help!!!
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Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Lynne – in my comment to Ciara, I said you can make this in TWO, 8-inch round pans, not three. However, this cake should work fine in any of the following – three 9-inch round pans, three 8-inch round pans, two 9-inch round pans, or two 8-inch round pans. You should have more than a quarter of an inch of batter when the batter is divided between three 8-inch round pans. Did you perhaps leave some ingredients out by mistake?
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Faye says
Hi Stephanie! Can you make this recipe in 8” pans instead of 9”?
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Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Faye! Yes, the bake time will just be a bit longer. 3-7 minutes or so. Start with 2-3 and add as needed! Enjoy!
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Hita says
Such a great recipe!! I followed the instructions and used the batter to make cupcakes. They turned out perfectly fluffy!!Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Hita!
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Bette Neiman says
I made this cake and I also followed your directions. The cake was the best carrot cake I’ve EVER had anywhere. Thank you so much for this recipe. My sister made one just like it many times, and everyone just loved it. Since she has passed and I tried to find it on the internet. This is probably the recipe she followed…I made this back in November around the holidays and tried to find it again until just now. I will be making this in the morning for my son, who just loves carrot cake, and raved about this. I believe this is the best pineapple carrot cake recipe out there. Thank you again..Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks SO much for your kind words, Bette. I truly appreciate that you made my recipes & took the time to leave such a sweet review. I’m so sorry to hear about your sister. I hope this recipe is able to bring you a small slice of comfort as you bake it & remember her.
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Susan Pearson says
Followed directions. So delicious! I made three square 8″ aluminum pans with this recipe. One for a friend, one for a birthday, and one for me! I did add one cup each of walnuts/pecans mix, flaked unsweetened coconut, and raisins. I also added entire 20oz can of well-drained crushed pineapple and made and used the pineapple syrup on top before frosting.Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad to hear you enjoyed this cake, Susan! Thanks for noting those additions you made – always helpful for other readers to see that 🙂
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Venessa says
Perfect..moist and flavourful cake….can i double this recipe
ThanksReply
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Venessa! Glad you enjoyed this cake! I suppose you could double it, but you would need QUITE a large mixing bowl. I’d personally just make two separate batches. Is there any specific reason you’d like to double it?
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Mario says
Hi!
I really want to make this cake but I have a question about the canned crushed pineapple. We don’t have this where I live. The closest thing is canned pineapple “tidbits” in sugar syrup. I can drain the sugar syrup, but I would need to chop/dice the “tidbits” very finely in order to get them to the “crushed” stage. But I’m afraid that I’ll lose a lot of the natural juice from inside the fruit. Do you think this will be a problem?Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Mario! I think that if you scrape the diced pineapple tidbits along with any juices that come off of them directly from your cutting board into the mixing bowl, it should be fine. You could always add 1-2 tbsp of the sugar syrup they come in as well if you think there’s not enough liquid. Let me know how the cake turns out!
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Jessie says
Everything was perfect about this cake 😍 everyone loved it, even the most skepticalReply
Stephanie Simmons says
Aw, thanks so much for the sweet comment Jessie!
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Cynthia Self says
WOW!
Never have I EVER had such a rich, moist and flavorful cake. Seriously. Thank you Stephanie for this wonderfully accurate recipe and extra tips! I enjoyed this cake for almost a week past Easter dinner and gained about 5 lbs! So worth it! It was that good:)Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Cynthia! 🙂
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Liz says
I took this cake to a ladies luncheon and gave a piece to the MC, she announced to the whole luncheon how much she loved it!! It was so moist and the frosting was so silky! I love the cream cheese trick!! Great recipe.Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad the cake was a hit, Liz! 🙂
Reply
Marion says
This one is a winner! It is so incredibly moist and easy to make. My family raves about it and said it was one of the most flavorful carrot cake they’ve ever had. I used raisins and roasted walnuts in ours and it was perfect!Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much Marion! Glad the cake was a hit 🙂
Reply
Nadia says
I was so excited to make this and followed the recipe to a T but why did my cake turned out dense, flat and wet?I’m not sure if there was a step missed/did wrong? i found it unusual how wet/liquid the cake batter was before putting it in the oven. Please advise as I’m keen to give it another try and perfect it!
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Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Nadia! I have never had anything like that happen with this cake. I’m sorry to hear that! I wonder if you perhaps forgot to add an ingredient? I know I’ve done that before! My only other guess is that your oven temp is off. Stick an oven thermometer in there and preheat it to 350, then check it a few minutes after it says it’s preheated and see if the temp is accurate.
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Brandy says
Super delish. Used the batter for a 3rd tier to make mini cupcakes to take to work. Now I’ve got ppl asking my price for whole cakes. 🤑🤑🤑Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
So glad to hear that the cake was a hit, Brandy! 🙂
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Christina says
I added the coconut, raisins and pecans and really good. Had to bake a little longer to make sure the centre of the cakes we’re cookeecjriaReply
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad you enjoyed this cake, Christina!
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Jolene says
First time making a homemade carrot cake and this recipe is the only one I’ll ever use again! It was all around perfection! Super easy to make and very detailed instructions.Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Your kind comment made my day, Jolene – thank you! ☺️
Reply
Steph says
Amazing!! This is my first time making a carrot cake and I think your recipe is a winner. I used 4 small carrots which equaled to 1 1/2 cups, 1 cup and 2 tbsp. of brown sugar (it was the only sugar I had left) added pecans, some unsweetened shredded coconut that I had leftover, and about a tbspn of raisins and pecans. This cake turned out amazing!! It was gone in about 2 days (for a family of 8). Thank you.Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Steph! ☺️
Reply
Jennifer says
Hands down BEST carrot cake I’ve ever had!!!! I’m not a very good baker but this recipe was easy to follow and turned out perfectly!Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thank you so much Jennifer! ☺️
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Bridgitte says
Great recipe…easy to follow. Loved all the pointers…followed exactly…best carrot cake I’ve ever eaten! This one…will be a family favorite!Reply
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Bridgitte! Comments like yours make my day 🙂
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