Pineapple Carrot Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Icing
Moist carrot cake with pineapple, coconut, and walnuts. Topped with honey-sweetened cream cheese icing.
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
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour 3 6-inch round baking pans. Beat in dry ingredients.
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Sift or whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
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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.
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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
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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.