Pineapple Carrot Cake
A tropical twist on a classic! This layered Carrot Cake with Pineapple and Coconut is moist, flavorful, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting for the perfect island-inspired dessert.
Servings: 20 servings
Ingredients
Tropical Carrot Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups sugar 400 grams
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-¼ cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups grated carrots from 3 to 4 raw carrots
- 1 can crushed pineapple, drained 20-ounce can
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 20 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 8 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4-½ cups powdered sugar
For the topping:
- 1 cup shredded coconut flakes toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. (You can also bake this recipe in two 9-inch cake pans). Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon set aside.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer, add eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until well blended. Add the oil and beat well.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and blend in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated.
- Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold in the grated carrots, drained pineapple, and coconut.
- Divide the batter equally between the three cake pans. Bake 30 to 38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake, comes out clean or with just a few crumbs on the toothpick.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit on a cooling rack for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Remove cake from pans and place on the wire racks to finish cooling.
- Make sure the cake has completely cooled before you frost it. A warm cake will melt the frosting.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Frost the cake with the cream cheese frosting then sprinkle it with the toasted coconut flakes.
Video
Notes
- Lining the cake pans with parchment works best for this cake and helps it come out of the pans easily.
- Make sure you drain the canned pineapple before adding it to the cake batter.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 432mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 51g
