Description

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!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Substitutions:

Use gluten-free flour for a gluten-free version.
Substitute coconut sugar for granulated sugar to lower the glycemic index.
Replace walnuts with raisins for a nut-free alternative.

Instructions

Preheat Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans to prevent sticking.
Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until well combined.
Combine Wet Ingredients
To the bowl of dry ingredients, add vegetable oil and eggs. Mix until smooth and fully incorporated.
Add Carrots and Pineapple
Stir in grated carrots, drained crushed pineapple, and vanilla extract. Fold in the chopped walnuts if using.
Divide and Pour
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula.
Bake
Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool the Cakes
Remove the cakes from the oven. Allow them to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frost
Once completely cool, frost with a generous layer of cream cheese frosting between the layers and over the top and sides. Decorate as desired.

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.

Frosting: Feel free to even start with just 4-5 cups of powdered sugar and taste and see how you like that. Add more as desired. Just know, the more you mix after the cream cheese has been added, the more weepy the frosting may get. If it’s weepy, pop the whole bowl of frosting in the fridge or freezer to help it firm back up to a better consistency to work with.

Prep Time: 1hour
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Desssert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1slice
Calories: 1035kcal
Sugar: 113g
Sodium: 113mg
Fat: 1g
Saturated Fat: 20g
Carbohydrates: 134g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 11g
Cholesterol: 128mg

Keywords: Pineapple Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting