Carrot Cake with Pineapple Filling

Try this delicious recipe for carrot cake with a pineapple filling and cream cheese frosting. The pineapple adds flavor and character.

This 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?!

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

Carrot Cake with Pineapple Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting

Try this delicious recipe for carrot cake with a pineapple filling and cream cheese frosting. The pineapple adds flavor and character.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Cooling Time 45 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Course:

Dessert

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

cake

|

carrots

|

cream cheese

|

holidays

|

pineapple

Servings: 15 pieces

5 from 8 votes

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

Recommended Equipment

• Mixing Bowls – Stainless Steel
• Whisk – Wire
• Box Grater
• Glass Baking Dish
• Electric Mixer

Instructions

Cake

• 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

Frosting

• 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

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Nutrition Facts

Carrot Cake with Pineapple Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting

Amount Per Serving (1 piece)

Calories 706 Calories from Fat 378

% Daily Value*

Fat 42g65%

Saturated Fat 13g65%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 76mg25%

Sodium 245mg10%

Potassium 268mg8%

Carbohydrates 80g27%

Fiber 3g12%

Sugar 62g69%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 3329IU67%

Vitamin C 19mg23%

Calcium 68mg7%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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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