Miss Brown's Pineapple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This recipe creates a delightful Pineapple Carrot Cake with a rich cream cheese frosting. It involves combining grated carrots, crushed pineapple, and warm spices into a moist cake batter, baked in sheet pans, then generously topped with a velvety smooth cream cheese frosting. The cake is then cut into individual squares and garnished with carrots and walnuts, offering a perfect balance of sweetness and spice.
Equipment
- 2 9x13-inch Rimmed Baking Sheets
- 2 Large Mixing Bowls
- 1 Stand Mixer Or electric hand mixer for frosting
- 1 Whisk
- 2 Cooling Racks
Ingredients
Main
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup crushed canned pineapple
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups grated carrots preferably grated by hand
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 3/4 cup chopped or whole walnuts
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup walnuts
Instructions
- For the carrot cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheets and line each baking sheet with parchment paper (see Cook's Note).
- Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger and allspice in a large bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the oil, pineapple, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the batter is smooth. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the grated carrots for garnish and fold in the remaining carrots, raisins and walnuts into the cake batter.
- Divide the batter between the prepared baking sheets. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks, taking the parchment off the base of each cake as you go. Allow the cakes cool completely before frosting.
- For the cream cheese frosting: While the cake is baking, chill the bowl and paddle attachment for your stand mixer. Once the cake is cooled, beat together the cream cheese and butter until very smooth in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the vanilla, then slowly add the confectioners' sugar, about 1 cup at a time. The consistency should be fairly thick yet easy to spread. If it becomes too loose, add more powdered sugar (a little at a time).
- Transfer the frosting into a piping bag or a resealable plastic bag. Pipe the frosting evenly over the top of one of the cake layers. Top with the other cake layer. (If you have the time, pop the cake into the freezer here for a few minutes to make it easier to cut). Carefully cut the layered cake into 2-inch squares, so that you have individual, square, naked cakes. Pipe a little more frosting on top and decorate with the reserved grated carrots and walnuts.
Notes
Ensure carrots are hand-grated for optimal texture; machine grating can make them too fine and watery. Thoroughly cool cake layers before frosting to prevent the cream cheese from melting and sliding off. For the frosting, chilling your stand mixer bowl and paddle attachment will help achieve a thicker, more stable consistency, especially in warmer kitchens. A quick chill in the freezer after layering the cakes will also allow for cleaner, sharp squares when cutting.