Carrot Pineapple Cake

Name: Carrot Pineapple Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 10-12
Cuisine: Australian

roubashahin.com.au

A soft, nostalgic carrot pineapple cake that’s perfect for hosting. Simple ingredients, an easy pourable icing, and a pretty finish every time.

PREP TIME

20 minutes

COOK TIME

40-45 minutes

SERVES

10-12

About this recipe

I made this carrot pineapple cake on a night I was hosting a dinner party, and I did the one thing I always tell everyone not to do — never make something for the first time when you’re hosting. It’s unnecessary stress, but I still went ahead with it. Thankfully, I cracked it on the first go. I was so relieved that I didn’t even think about the garnish. I just topped it with what I know best: pistachios and edible roses.

When I made this carrot pineapple cake again for you, I actually put more thought into the garnish. It turned out beautiful and so simple to prepare, which makes it perfect for gatherings. It’s the same energy as my other entertaining desserts — like my moist walnut banana bread that makes the most of overripe bananas and gives you a sweet, nutty slice every time; my buttery, caramelised crème brûlée cake inspired by those viral cupcakes and full of elegance; and my fruity lemon and blueberry bundt cake that hides a cream cheese and pineapple centre and always turns heads.

This cake sits right amongst them: easy, nostalgic, and made with ingredients most of us keep at home. It’s the kind of dessert you serve with pride because it looks impressive, but the method is simple and forgiving — my favourite combination.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

2 cups plain flour (310 grams)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1⁄2 cups white sugar (300 grams)
1⁄2 cup brown sugar (85 grams)
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
4 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup crushed pineapple, juice reserved
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Icing

250 grams cream cheese, softened
2 cups icing sugar
reserved pineapple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Notes from Rouba

I always grate the carrots fresh — it keeps the cake moist.
Don’t skip reserving the pineapple juice; it transforms the icing.
This cake batter seems thick, but trust me, it bakes up beautifully soft.
Use any garnish you love — flowers, nuts, even toasted coconut works.
Only make the last bit of the icing pourable — about a ¼ of a cup. The icing that goes between the layers and over the top should stay thicker. You want the drip effect only at the end, when you loosen that final small amount with extra pineapple juice so it runs gently down the sides.

Method

Step 1. Prepare the cake tins and mix the dry ingredients

Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan-forced) (340°F). Grease and line two 20 cm round cake tins and set them aside.

In a large bowl, mix the plain flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, then set the bowl aside.

Step 2. Beat the wet ingredients and add the mix-ins

Using an electric beater, beat together the white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla essence until the mixture looks smooth and well combined. Add the grated carrots, crushed pineapple and shredded coconut into the wet mixture and fold everything together by hand until combined.

Step 3. Combine the wet and dry mixtures and bake

Add the dry mixture into the wet bowl and gently fold by hand until just combined, then stir through the chopped walnuts. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared tins. Bake for 40– 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their tins before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 4. Make the icing and assemble the cake

Beat the softened cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth, then mix in the vanilla essence. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved pineapple juice to make the icing creamy. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and pour half the icing over the top, smoothing it to the edges. Add the second cake layer on top and spread about three-quarters of the remaining icing over it. Leave the last quarter of the icing in the bowl and mix in another 3–5 tablespoons of pineapple juice to loosen it. Pour this loosened icing around the edges of the cake so it gently drips down the sides.

A FEW THINGS YOU’LL WANT TO KNOW

How many carrots make 2 cups?
About three medium carrots. If they’re large, use two.

Can I use butter instead of oil?
You can, but oil gives you a softer, more moist crumb. Butter adds flavour but also firms up when it cools, so the cake won’t stay as soft.

Do I need to use walnuts?
No — leave them out if you prefer, or swap for pecans. The texture will still be lovely.

Can I bake the cake in one tin and slice it in half?
You can, but just note that the batter is quite a lot and may be too high for one tin. Two tins bake more evenly and keep the layers light.

The cakes look thick — will they stack properly?
Yes. They’re fluffy but sturdy enough to layer. Once you spread the first layer of icing between the cakes and then finish with the pourable icing on top, everything settles beautifully. Trust the process — it works every time.

Can I make this cake dairy-free?
Yes — the cake itself is already dairy-free. Just skip the cream cheese icing and serve it plain, or make a simple dairy-free icing with icing sugar, a little pineapple juice, and vanilla. It also works beautifully as cupcakes for kids if you prefer individual portions.