While pineapple and carrots may not be the most obvious flavor combo, this recipe proves they're a dream team. This moist, old fashioned carrot cake with pineapple is a long-time family favorite recipe. It's the birthday cake we make for multiple birthdays throughout the year, and versions of the recipe have circulated for decades amongst us. And that may be in part to how easy it is to make; you only need a whisk and mixing bowl to whip up the cake batter!

I actually loved this recipe so much that I tweaked it to write a version of it for mini carrot cakes. They're as small and adorable as they sound.
I basically want to eat this cake again and again in all of its forms, and I hope it becomes a favorite cake for you, your friends, and family, too.
Jump to:
- Why Carrots and Pineapple Work in This Cake Recipe
- Cake Ingredients
- Pro Tip for High-Quality Baked Goods - Use a Scale!
- Ingredients for Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting
- Tip for Evenly Baked Cake Layers
- Cake Batter Instructions
- Steps for Making Cream Cheese Buttercream
- Cake Assembly
- Recipe FAQ
- More Tips to Get Rave Reviews on this Homemade Carrot Cake
- More Dessert Ideas
- Old Fashioned Carrot Cake with Pineapple
Why Carrots and Pineapple Work in This Cake Recipe
Carrots and pineapple come together to make an incredible cake. Here's why:
- Moisture: Nobody wants dry cake, but you don't need to worry about that when carrots and drained crushed pineapple are involved. Here, they both create a moist cake. Just be sure to drain the excess liquid. This step ensures that the cake rises properly and isn't moist to the point of soggy.
- Flavor and sweetness: When shredded, carrots release even more sweetness into this batter. In this Food52 article, Chris Kimball, formerly of Americaâs Test Kitchen, explains that shredding root veggies helps them taste both sweeter and fresher. Store bought ones are okay but fairly dry, so freshly shredded carrots work best. Plus, pineapple's juice lends sweetness to these delicious cake layers.
- Texture: The shredded carrots in this cake give a unique but good moist texture, alongside the small, juicy bits of pineapple in each bite.
Cake Ingredients
Shredded carrots and pineapple are two obvious stars in this classic carrot cake recipe. However, I'm including some highlights and other noteworthy ingredients, with the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.
- Canola oil â In addition to pineapple, canola oil also helps keep this cake moist. There is no butter in this recipe (and many carrot cake recipes) so oil is the fat that gives this treat its soft texture.
- Cardamom - This was the first carrot cake recipe where I used cardamom, but I will definitely include it more in the future! It adds a great, subtly earthy flavor that balances out some of the sweetness of the cake layers and cream cheese frosting.
- Cinnamon â I love adding this spice to carrot cake, in both the cake layers and a dusting on top of the cream cheese frosting if you'd like. However, you could experiment with other spices like nutmeg or ginger if you prefer those.
- Walnuts - I add walnuts or pecans to this old fashioned carrot cake. They have different flavor profiles, but each brings a nice texture so choose your favorite. I also tend to decorate the outside with pecans as I like their shape, but either walnuts or pecans will do! If you have a nut allergy or dislike for them, though, this recipe will still taste delicious without them.
Pro Tip for High-Quality Baked Goods - Use a Scale!
Weighing your ingredients and writing or following a recipe using a standard metric like grams is the most accurate way to create the best results when baking. The sizes of measuring cups vary. Using them for a recipe can result in noticeable issues and differing end results for baked goods.
I highly recommend investing $30 or less in a kitchen scale.
Ingredients for Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting
To make the frosting for this old fashioned carrot cake with pineapple, youâll need the following items:
- Butter, room temperature
- Crisco (you could also skip the Crisco and sub in butter for the same amount. I like the aftertaste of Crisco, though, and typically use at least a little bit of it in carrot cake frosting.)
- Cream cheese, room temperature or slightly softened
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Although Iâm a big fan of the pairing of cream cheese frosting and carrot cake, you could go a different direction. A half batch of my Biscoff buttercream could be interesting, given the spices that are in that and the spices in the carrot cake.
While I havenât tested the combination, I imagine it would be a good if you're looking for carrot cake without cream cheese frosting.
Tip for Evenly Baked Cake Layers
I use bake even strips on most of my cakes. They look like a belt that you wrap and secure around your cake pan! They help cakes rise evenly in the pan and prevent the edges from heating too quickly.
I recommend these strips. If you, too, follow this step, you'll want to start soaking three of your strips in water before diving into the rest of the recipe.
Wring them out slightly so they're still damp. Wrap the pans with them before the layers enter the oven.
Cake Batter Instructions
First, preheat oven to 350°F.
Line three 8â cake pans with parchment paper on all sides. Butter and flour well or coat with baking spray before setting aside. A lot of wet batter goes into the pans. Itâs important to use proper baking release spray or butter and flour.
To a large mixing bowl, add and whisk together the following wet ingredients: sugar, canola oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and pineapple. Also, how great is it that you don't need an electric mixer or stand mixer to make this cake? I'll never get over my appreciation of that fact!
Then add your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon.
Fold in your nuts and freshly grated carrots. Divide and pour batter evenly into each prepared pan. The batter in each pan will weigh about 380 grams.
Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until you insert a toothpick into your cake and it comes out cleanly.
Let cakes cool in pans about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Steps for Making Cream Cheese Buttercream
The best carrot cake recipe requires an excellent, creamy frosting, and this one is a winner.
As your cake cools, place your room temperature cream cheese, butter, and Crisco into the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat until all ingredients are well-combined, about 3 minutes.
Stop mixer and add your vanilla extract, pinch of salt, and powdered sugar. Start setting on low to gradually incorporate sugar and prevent it from flying everywhere. Then increase speed to fully combine ingredients.
Afterward, spend a minute or two with a spatula, running it around the inside of the mixing bowl to remove air bubbles and smooth the frosting.
Fit a piping bag with a large, open piping tip of your choice. Spread the larger opening of the bag over the rim of a glass. Lastly, use a spatula to fill bag halfway with cream cheese frosting (itâs easier to maneuver and creates fewer hand cramps when the bag isnât filled to the top!) from your mixing bowl.Â
Cake Assembly
First, pipe or spread a dollop of cream cheese frosting onto a cake circle to act as glue to hold the layer in place. Set first cake layer on top of that.
Pipe roughly 20% of your frosting on top of the bottom layer and spread evenly with a cake spatula or large metal spoon. Place second cake layer on top of the first, repeating the same steps, and then add your third layer.
Then, starting from the base of the carrot pineapple cake and moving to the top, pipe a thick layer of frosting all around your cake's sides and top. Place a cake scraper against the side of the cake and gently pull the cake around to smooth out bubbles in the frosting.
Next, fill in any gaps in the frosting with remaining cream cheese frosting.
If desired, gently press crushed nuts (walnuts or pecans work well) around the base of your cake and on top for extra crunch and flavor.
Recipe FAQ
The number of carrots in a carrot cake all depends on the size of the cake youâre making. In this recipe, I used about four carrots. But carrots vary by size, so itâs best to weigh your ingredients to get the exact proportions right for this recipe.
This cake will stay incredibly moist for days after making it. Due to the dairy in the cream cheese, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator and bringing it out about 30 minutes before you plan to serve it.
This cake also freezes well. Once it's baked and cooled, gently cover it in a few layers of plastic wrap or wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap before transferring it to an airtight container for ultimate freshness. You can keep it in the freezer for about three months.
This moist carrot cake recipe has been tested many times and does not sink in the center of the cake. If your carrot cake is sinking, check the leavening agents. Are your baking powder and baking soda fresh? If they're expired, they could be causing your cake to rise improperly.
Also, I always recommend using a scale when weighing and baking your ingredients. If you're using cups to measure your ingredients, you may be unintentionally adding more liquid to a recipe than you should. Weight is really helpful for baking with precision and accuracy.
More Tips to Get Rave Reviews on this Homemade Carrot Cake
- For ease of decorating, I recommend putting your cream cheese frosting in a piping bag. Doing this will make it easier to direct your frosting onto your pineapple carrot cake.
- Have fun dusting the top of this cake with your favorite spice or some crushed nuts. In this recipe, I used pecans to decorate mine.
- Want a rustic-looking design like the one you see here? I took a small cake spatula and dragged it around my cake in circles for a rougher but simplistic appearance.
More Dessert Ideas
Old Fashioned Carrot Cake with Pineapple
This old fashioned carrot cake with pineapple is a family favorite. We bake this moist layer cake to celebrate special occasions.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cake Assembly: 15-30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 90 minutes
- Yield: One 8-inch, 3-layer cake 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup (220 grams) granulated sugar
- â cup (140 grams) canola oil
- 3 eggs
- â cup (180 grams) crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 â cup (200 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ÂŊ tsp cardamom
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups (200 grams) grated carrots
- ÂŊ cup (80 grams) crushed nuts (I like walnuts or pecans)
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 4 tbs butter, room temperature
- 4 tbs crisco
- 1 block (226 grams) of cream cheese, room temperature or slightly softened
- 5 cups (600 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Carrot Cake - Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. If using bake even cake strips, start soaking three that will fit your 8" pans. Line three 8â cake pans with parchment paper on all sides. Butter and flour well or coat with baking spray before setting aside. A lot of wet batter goes into the pans so itâs important to use proper baking release spray or butter and flour.
- To a large mixing bowl, add and whisk together your sugar, canola oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and pineapple.Â
- Add your flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon.Â
- Fold in your grated carrots and nuts before dividing and pouring batter evenly into 3 pans. The batter in each pan will weigh about 380 grams. If using, now wrap your damp cake strips around each of your pans before placing them in the oven.Â
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until you insert a toothpick into your cake and it comes out cleanly.
- Let cakes cool in pans about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Carrot Cake Frosting Instructions
- As your cake cools, place your room temperature butter, softened cream cheese, and Crisco into the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat until ingredients are well-combined, about 4 minutes.Â
- Stop mixer and add your vanilla extract and powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Start setting on low to gradually incorporate sugar and prevent it from flying everywhere. Then increase speed to fully combine ingredients.
- Fit a piping bag with a large, round open piping tip. Spread the larger opening over the rim of a glass, and use a spatula to fill bag halfway with cream cheese frosting (itâs easier to maneuver and creates fewer hand cramps when the bag isnât filled to the top!) from your mixing bowl.Â
Carrot Cake Assembly Instructions
- Pipe or spread a dollop of cream cheese frosting onto a cake circle to act as glue to hold the layer in place. Set first cake layer on top of that.
- Pipe roughly 20% of your frosting on top of the bottom layer and spread evenly with a cake spatula or large metal spoon. Place second cake layer on top of the first, repeating the same steps, and then add your third layer. Then, starting from the base of the cake and moving to the top, pipe a thick layer of frosting all around your cake's sides and top.
- Then place a cake scraper against the side of the cake and gently pull the cake around to smooth out bubbles in the frosting.
- Fill in any gaps in the frosting with remaining cream cheese frosting.
- If desired, gently press crushed nuts around the base of your cake and on top for extra crunch and flavor.
Notes
- These cake strips will help your cake layers bake and rise more evenly in the oven.
Sam Smithy
I made this carrot cake for my in-laws. They always say carrot cake is a healthier dessert so they ate the whole cake! I like the subtle sweetness of the pineapple and the crunchy texture of the walnuts. I wonder if you can use different nuts? Thanks for the recipe đ
Susan
Glad they liked the cake!
And you can definitely use different nuts! I would stick to ones that have a somewhat mild flavor so that they don't take away from the overall taste of the carrot cake. Almonds, pecans, and walnuts could all work here.