Carrot Cake with Pineapple
Serves 16
40 mins prep
20 mins cook
60 mins total
This carrot cake with pineapple is soft, fluffy, and moist! It’s perfectly spiced, has a creamy pineapple filling, and an irresistible cream cheese frosting. Pineapple inside the cake layers gives this cake a beautiful texture and makes it extra moist! There’s extra pineapple filling on top and cute carrot piping details on the sides. It’s the perfect cake for spring, Easter, and any other occasion.
Pineapple Filling
Cake Layers
Cream Cheese Frosting
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Pineapple Filling
Stir together sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Add a can of crushed pineapple with all of the juice. Add the lemon juice and stir. Cook on medium low heat, stirring frequently until it thickens and is bubbling.
⅕ cup granulated sugar⅖ tablespoons cornstarch⅕ can crushed pineapple in juice⅕ lemonTake the pan off the heat and add butter. Stir until melted and smooth. Transfer into a glass jar, bowl, or another non metal container and refrigerate until completely cooled and thickened.
⅕ cup butter
Cake Layers
Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease three 8” round cake pans with a bit of oil. Line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Whisk until thickened and frothy with a wire whisk - this will only take a minute.
½ large eggs⅕ cups brown sugarPour oil into the bowl and whisk until smooth. Add vanilla extract and salt, whisk to combine.
⅕ cup vegetable oil¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract⅕ teaspoon sea saltIn a separate bowl, stir together the flour, spices, baking soda, and baking powder.
⅓ cups all purpose flour⅕ teaspoon baking soda¼ teaspoons baking powder¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon⅕ teaspoon ground cloves⅕ teaspoon ground nutmeg⅕ teaspoon ground gingerSift the dry ingredients into the previously mixed wet ingredients. Use a whisk to gently fold the batter. Don't overmix.
Add the shredded carrots, drained pineapple, and chopped walnuts into the cake batter. Fold with a spatula until fully combined.
¼ cups shredded carrots⅕ cup canned crushed pineapple in juice⅕ cup walnutsScoop the batter evenly into the greased and lined baking pans. Bake 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake layer comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached.
Let the cake layers cool inside the pans for 10 minutes. Run a spatula along the edges and flip them over onto a cooling rack to release the layers from the pans. Let cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Place the softened butter into a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat with an electric mixer, use a paddle attachment until creamy and lightened in color. Make sure to scrape down the bowl frequently.
⅕ cup unsalted butterAdd five cups of powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time into the whipped butter. Beat well in between each addition and scrape down the bowl frequently. Add vanilla and beat well.
⅘ cups powdered sugar⅕ tablespoon pure vanilla extractAdd cream cheese into the frosting, one 1” piece at a time, beating well in between each addition and scraping down the bowl.
1 oz cream cheeseThe frosting should be thick and fluffy. If it’s still loose and won’t hold its shape, refrigerate for 10 minutes, add another cup of powdered sugar, and beat again until light and fluffy. Fold the frosting with a spatula to knock out large air bubbles.
Assembly
Place a small dollop of frosting on a cake stand or plate. Place the first cake layer down onto the cake stand. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top. Pipe a thick ring of frosting all the way around the outside edge of the cake layer. Fill the middle with ⅓ cup of cooled pineapple filling.
Repeat for the rest of the layers, place the last layer on top - bottom side up. Place the cake into the freezer for 10 minutes to chill briefly, this will prevent it from sliding around and will keep it stable.
While it chills, set aside three tablespoons of frosting in one bowl and two tablespoons in a second bowl. Color three tablespoons with orange food coloring and two tablespoons green. Transfer into separate piping bags or zippered plastic bags with the ends cut off.
Green and orange gel food coloringSpread frosting on the outside of the cake. If the frosting becomes very bubbly and hard to work with, beat it again until light and fluffy. If it’s not thick enough, add some more powdered sugar to make it thicker.
Pipe the remaining frosting on top of the cake with an open star piping tip to create a border. Fill the inside with pineapple filling and sprinkle walnuts on the border.
¼ tablespoons walnutsPipe carrots onto the side of the cake with the orange frosting by piping a line and flicking the end to create a pointy root. Pipe three sticks onto the top of each carrot for the leaves and stems.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve! The cake is best served at room temperature so let it sit out for 20-30 minutes before serving to soften the frosting.
