Try this delicious recipe for carrot cake with a pineapple filling and cream cheese frosting. The pineapple adds flavor and character.
Jump to RecipeThis carrot cake recipe comes from my Aunt Shawn. I actually had to call her the first time I made it because I wasn’t sure what size pan to use and she gave me a few good tips. Most importantly, the cake will look like it is getting really dark on top. But it is supposed to. Her original recipe said to bake for 30 minutes, but I had to leave it in for an hour. The cake is done when it doesn’t wiggle in the middle. I just grabbed one of the edges of the pan and shook it slightly to test for a wiggly cake. Don’t worry, even with cooking it this long, the cake was still very moist in the middle.
Everyone at the office we worked at always requested Aunt Shawn’s carrot cake for their birthdays. Almost every month she was baking one of these cakes for an office birthday. It doesn’t take too long to prep and has delicious results. Before I made it, I never tried it. I know, so bad, I always get on to the boys that they have to at least try something before they say they don’t like it. But all those months and years of her making it, I never tried it. I don’t like coconut and knew that was part of the cake. So this time, I decided to try it. And wow, I am so glad I did, it’s amazing! You don’t really taste the coconut flavor too much. And I love pineapple so when you bite into a chunk of pineapple it makes it that much better.
I didn’t realize until recently that pineapple is not a typical ingredient in a carrot cake. I had never made carrot cake or eaten it. So I just figured this is how it is made. Now that I’ve had it with pineapple, I don’t know that I could eat it without the pineapple. The pineapple also really helps to keep the cake moist as it is baking. And of course, you can never go wrong with cream cheese frosting! Carrots in the cake make it seem like I am eating something good for me too when I am really eating cake. At least I am getting some of my veggies through the cake, which automatically means it is healthy, right?!

Carrot Cake Step by Step
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups oil
- 4 eggs
- 20 oz pineapple (crushed)
- 2 cups carrots (grated)
- 4 oz flaked coconut (1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup walnuts (chopped, optional)

Frosting
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 stick butter (softened)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar.

Beat in the oil and the eggs until well combined.

Add the pineapple, carrots, and coconut. Then mix until everything is thoroughly distributed.

Pour the cake batter into a 9×13 glass baking dish and bake for 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk the frosting ingredients together until creamy and smooth.
Once the cake has completely cooled, frost. Garnish with more coconut, chopped nuts, and shredded carrots if desired. Store in the refrigerator and serve cold.


Recipe
Originally Published On: April 10, 2019
Last Updated On: March 11, 2020

Carrot Cake with Pineapple Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups oil
- 4 eggs
- 20 oz pineapple (crushed)
- 2 cups carrots (grated)
- 4 oz flaked coconut (1 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup walnuts (chopped, optional)
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 stick butter (softened)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar
- Beat in the oil and eggs
- Add the pineapple, carrots, coconut, and walnuts and blend until mixed
- Pour in a 9×13 baking pan and bake for 60 minutes
- The cake will get very dark on top, but you need to make sure it doesn’t wiggle at all in the middle
- Combine cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer
- Slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until smooth
- Spread the frosting over the entire cake once it's cooled
- Store the cake in the refrigerator and serve cold
- Garnish with chopped nuts, extra coconut, or shredded carrot as desired
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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Looks so yummy!
It was amazing! That was the first time I had actually eaten it even though my aunt has been making it for years. I have no idea why I didn’t try it sooner!!!
Awesome! I’m trying this recipe, looks so tasty.
Thanks! I’d love to hear what you think of it after you make it!!
Carrot cake is my favourite kind of cake ever! A pineapple filling sounds to die for, saving this recipe to try asap!
The pineapple adds so much to the cake! You should give it a try next time, I’d love to know what you think about it.
This recipe sounds absolutely delicious!! Carrot cake is my all time favorite dessert and as a kid I always asked for it instead of birthday cake! 🙂
That’s awesome! You should try this recipe with pineapple in it and see how you like it.
This looks like a delicious carrot cake. Plan to bake it for my family, thank you.
Awesome, I hope they enjoy the cake!
This combines two of my favorite things: pineapple and carrot cake! This sounds like one tasty dish.
April
I know, it’s an amazing combination! You should give it a try soon.
Oh, this looks super yummy. I will definitely have to try this. I love carrot cake and I’ve never tried it with Pineapple!!!
You should try it soon! Pineapple adds such a unique flavor to the cake.
Adding pineapple to cakes makes them so moist and sweet! I love this!
Yes, it definitely does! I love what it adds to the cake.
I love carrot cake but I have never tried it will pineapple. So I will have to try this sometime!
You should add it in next time, it’s so good!
OH YUM! This looks AMAZING!!!! I wanna eat it all up.
It is delicious! You should try making it some time, then you can eat it up 🙂
Mmm this looks SO delicious! I love your easy to follow directions!
Thanks! I try to make all of the recipes easy to follow. This is such a good cake, you should give it a try!
Wow! That looks delicious. I’m generally a very bad cook, but I definitely plan on trying this one out. Thank you so much for sharing.
Luckily, this cake is pretty easy since it’s mostly dumping everything in and stirring it up then baking. Give it a try, I think you can do it.
I like both carrots and pineapples. But never tried a carrot and pineapple cake. Would like to follow your recipe! 😍😋
You should try making this cake then! It’s so good.
Pretty sure my husband would pass out if I made this for him. He is a carrot cake freak!
That sounds a little dangerous! 🙂 But if he loves carrot cake that much you should make this together, it’s delicious!
This looks so good! I haven’t had carrot cake in such a long time. Everyone in my house loves carrot cake, Maybe I’ll surprise them with this.
That would be a great surprise! My boys love when I make this cake.
As much as I love carrot cake, I’ve never tried making it myself. The addition of pineapple is such a good one! I can definitely see how it would aid in keeping the cake super moist and delicious.
The pineapple is so good in this cake. You should give it a try. I thought carrot cake would be a lot more complicated than it is at first.
My 2 favorite dessert flavors! Pineapples and carrot cakes is seriously my fav and this tastes SO GOOD!
Isn’t is perfect when two of your favorites come together for one amazing recipe?!
This honestly sounds so heavenly. I wouldn’t have thought of mixing the pineapple with the carrot cake but just the thought is making my mouth water. I wish my daughter would appreciate carrot cake. But maybe I can stick this in and she might like it.
My boys had no clue they were eating carrot cake until I told them. Even then, they still asked for more! I think the cream cheese frosting and pineapple hide the carrot pretty well for them.