Pineapple Carrot Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Icing

Carrot cake filled with pineapple, coconut, and walnuts makes this cake moist dense and flavorful.  Topped with a honey-sweetened cream cheese icing for the win.

How do you like your carrot cake?

Do you like your carrot cake loaded with nuts, pineapple, and coconut?  Do you prefer a simple carrot cake with carrots only?  Regardless of what you load into your carrot cake, the cinnamon is a must!  What about the icing?  Carrot cake is delicious topped with any cream cheese icing.  Am I right?    Have you tried spicing your icing up with cinnamon or this amazing recipe for honey cream cheese icing?  

Let’s make pineapple carrot cake:

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1. To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350℉.  Lightly grease three 6-inch round cake pans or two 9-inch or one 9 x 13 baking pan.  Set aside.  Sift or whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Set aside.
2. Beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, and buttermilk until smooth.
3. Mix in flour mixture.
4. Add crushed pineapple with the juices.
5. Add shredded carrots, coconut, and nuts.  
6. Stir just until combined.  Divide batter between the three pans. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.
7. Remove cakes from the oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan.
8. Gently tip cakes out of pans onto a cooling rack.  Cool for 5 minutes.
9. Option:  For extremely moist cakes wrap the layers in plastic wrap while still warm.  Cakes can be cooled completely in the refrigerator or the freezer overnight OR cool completely on wire rack.

The icing on the cake:

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1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.  Add powder sugar, vanilla, and honey.  Mix until completely smooth.
2. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate.  Spread 1/2 cup of the buttercream over the cake. Repeat with the remaining 2 cake layers. Spread icing around the sides of the cake and on the top.  Add a little drizzle of honey or honeycomb, or sprinkle with more chopped walnuts.  

Useful Tips:

• For a super moist cake after 5 minutes of cooling, wrap each cake in plastic wrap an place in a freezer until completely cooled or freeze for later use. 
• Carrot cake may be prepared 2-3 days in advance. Cover tightly and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
• Cream cheese frosting may also be made 1-2 days in advance. Cover tightly and refrigerate the frosting, bring to room temperature on the counter before frosting the cake.
• Freezing: Remove the carrot cake from the pan and wrap tightly in plastic wrap, store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Frosting will also freeze well for 2-3 months, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature on the counter before frosting the cake. 
• The cake can be frozen after being iced as well.  If freezing a layer cake, freeze completely.  Wrap in a layer of plastic wrap, then in a layer of heavy duty aluminum foil.  This will keep for 3-4 weeks in the freezer.  To thaw, remove plastic and foil.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 4-5 hours.

5 from 5 votes

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Pineapple Carrot Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Icing

Moist carrot cake with pineapple, coconut, and walnuts.  Topped with honey-sweetened cream cheese icing.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword carrot cake with pineapple, honey cream cheese icing, pineapple carrot cake

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

assembly 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 756 kcal

Author Janet Barton

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup light olive oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups carrots finely grated
• 1 8 oz can crushed pineapple with juices
• 1 1/2 cups coconut sweetened flaked
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans chopped

Honey Cream Cheese Icing

• 12 ounces cream cheese softened ( 1 1/2 pkgs)
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup honey

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour 3 6-inch round baking pans.   Beat in dry ingredients.   

2. Sift or whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together.  Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl beat sugar and eggs until light yellow in color.  Slowly add in oil and mix until completely blended.  Add buttermilk and vanilla. Fold in carrots, coconut, pineapple with juice and walnuts.

4. Transfer batter to prepared pans,   Bake 30-35 minutes or until tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven.  Cool in pans for about 5 minutes.  Turn cakes out onto a cooling rack.  Cool completely before icing.  OR for a more moist cake after 5 minutes of cooling, wrap each cake in plastic wrap an place in a freezer until completely cooled or freeze for later use.  
   

Icing

1. Beat cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl until fluffy.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and honey.  Beat until smooth.  Spread frosting between cooled layers of cake, sides, and top of the cake.

Recipe Notes

• For a super moist cake after 5 minutes of cooling, wrap each cake in plastic wrap an place in a freezer until completely cooled or freeze for later use. 
• Carrot cake may be prepared 2-3 days in advance. Cover tightly and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
• Cream cheese frosting may also be made 1-2 days in advance. Cover tightly and refrigerate the frosting, bring to room temperature on the counter before frosting the cake.
• Frosting will also freeze well for 2-3 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature on the counter before icing the cake.
• The cake can be frozen after being iced as well.  If freezing a layer cake, freeze completely.  Wrap in a layer of plastic wrap, then in a layer of heavy duty aluminum foil.  This will keep for 3-4 weeks in the freezer.  To thaw, remove plastic and foil.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 4-5 hours.

Nutrition Facts

Pineapple Carrot Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Icing

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 756 Calories from Fat 378

% Daily Value*

Fat 42g65%

Saturated Fat 16g80%

Cholesterol 105mg35%

Sodium 400mg17%

Potassium 184mg5%

Carbohydrates 89g30%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 70g78%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 720IU14%

Vitamin C 0.5mg1%

Calcium 69mg7%

Iron 2mg11%

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

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