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A slice of carrot pineapple cake garnished with walnuts lying on its side on a white plate stacked on a teal plate with a fork.
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4.75 from 4 votes

Carrot Pineapple Cake

Carrot Pineapple Cake is easy to make from scratch without fancy equipment and tastes even better than traditional carrot cake.  This moist carrot cake recipe is perfectly spiced, loaded with fresh carrots and sweet pineapple and layered with a flavorful cream cheese frosting!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 18
Author: Julia Foerster

Equipment

  • box grater
  • 9-inch cake pan

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups grated carrot about 5 medium carrots
  • 1 cup crushed canned pineapple drained
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts plus more for decorating

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 16 oz block of cream cheese
Cups - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans and put a parchment round in the bottom of each pan. Set aside.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.
    2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon salt
  • In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, oil, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix with a whisk until no brown sugar lumps remain and the mixture is well combined.
    4 large eggs, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, ½ cup canola, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
  • Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
  • Fold in grated carrots, crushed pineapple, and walnuts.
    2 cups grated carrot, 1 cup crushed canned pineapple, ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
  • Let the cakes cool completely in the pans set on a cooling rack.
  • To make the frosting, beat together softened butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
    ½ cup unsalted butter, 2 cups powdered sugar
  • Add vanilla extract and cream cheese and beat until blended. If the frosting is a little bit too soft, freeze it for a few minutes.
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 16 oz block of cream cheese
  • Frost the cooled cake and decorate with chopped nuts.

Nutrition

Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 2940IU | Vitamin C: 3.9mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1.5mg