Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake (with Pineapple)

This old-fashioned carrot cake recipe with pineapple and cream cheese frosting is three layers of moist, rich, deliciousness. I know everybody and their mom has a carrot cake recipe, but this is actually my mom's, and it's the best. I will die on this hill. It literally sends everyone in my family into a frenzy when she bakes it (which is normally around Easter).

I am very particular about my carrot cakes. While I'm typically not the baker in this house, I know my way around a cake pan (don't ask me about icing it though. Mine always turn out like the cake after a one-year old has had it's way with it. And possible the dog as well). There are some additives in most of them that I...disagree with. Namely walnuts and raisins. Anything that takes away from that beautiful cakey texture, and I'm really not interested in. This goes for anything - please keep your dried fruit and nuts out of my baked goods. Thank you.

That being said, I know some of you are fans. So while this recipe contains no nuts or raisins, I'll list them in the actual recipe card if you want to add them. And if you're looking for another delicious spring or summer cake, try this Meyer Lemon upside down cake!

Jump to:

• What does Carrot Cake Taste Like?
• Ingredients
• How to Bake Carrot Cake from Scratch
• Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
• Freezing and Storing Instructions
• What to Serve with Carrot Cake
• 📖 Recipe

What does Carrot Cake Taste Like?

To me, carrot cake tastes warm and spicy and like your stomach is getting a hug from the inside. I personally don't taste really the carrots or the pineapple in this cake, although they definitely serve to keep it moist.

The brown butter cream cheese frosting adds a nutty, tangy, sweet flavor that's a classic pairing for old-fashioned carrot cake with pineapple. The hint of caramel flavoring that the brown butter brings also helps bring out a tiny amount of the pineapple flavor.

Ingredients

For the Cake

If you've ever made a carrot cake before, I'm sure these ingredients will look familiar to you. However, I remember the first time I made carrot cake thinking, 'pineapple? coconut? huh?'. This recipe is making three layers as well, so it's a big one!

• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Sugar
• Vegetable oil
• Grated carrots
• 4 Eggs
• Crushed pineapple
• Flaked coconut
• Chopped walnuts (optional)
• Raisins (also optional)

For the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a super standard cream cheese frosting, and it's a good one. The only change that I've made was including the brown butter (I go over in detail how to make that later on).

• Cream Cheese
• Brown butter
• Powdered sugar
• vanilla

How to Bake Carrot Cake from Scratch

First things first: let's preheat our oven to 350F. And, let's get our cake pans prepped and ready to go: I like to use parchment paper and cooking spray for these (and still sometimes I get burned, but whatever, I'm not bitter). Set those aside, and carry on.

In a large bowl or a stand mixer, combine all of your dry ingredients. Stir or whisk them to make sure everything is well combined.

Add your sugar, oil, and eggs, and mix again, until just combined. Add the carrots, pineapple, coconuts, and raisins and walnuts, if you're using them.

Finally, mix again until just combined.

Next up, pour the batter equally into the three cake pans that you've already prepared. Bake them in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. If you'd like to make this in a Bundt pan instead - no problem. Just make sure it's fully sprayed and then cook it for 60 minutes.

Take the cakes out of the oven, and let them cool almost completely in their pans. After that, flip them on wire baking rack to complete the cooling process. In the meantime, let's make the brown butter cream cheese frosting.

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Ok, the first trick is to brown the butter. Brown butter is butter that's cooked over relatively low heat, until the solids in the butter start to caramelize, adding a delicious, nutty flavor to the butter (and anything you're going to put it in.

To do this, we're going to melt the butter over medium heat, and keep it there, whisking, and making sure it doesn't burn. It's an extremely fine line, trust me.

First, cut the butter into chunks. Add it to a small-medium sized saucepan. Once the butter melts, whisk constantly. The butter will sizzle, foam, and eventually, start to cook the solids - turning a beautiful golden brown color. Once you get to this point, take it off the heat and let it cool completely.

For the cream cheese frosting, add your cream cheese (again, cut in chunks), your cooled brown butter, and your vanilla to a large bowl, or stand mixer. If you're using a bowl, you'll want to have at least a hand mixer for this part - combining the cream cheese with everything else needs some power behind it! You want to get it as smooth as possible before you add the sugar.

After that, you're going to slowly add the powdered sugar, so it doesn't blow up in your face.

Freezing and Storing Instructions

You can definitely freeze this cake. Let the cakes cool to room temperature, then wrap them separately in plastic wrap. Put them in the freezer and store for up to six months.

Store this cake in an airtight container if you can - it lasts a remarkably long time. I couldn't believe that it was still most SEVEN DAYS LATER the last time we made this.

What to Serve with Carrot Cake

For my family, this is traditionally an Easter or Mother's Day dessert, so this is the menu I would pair it with:

• Bourbon and brown sugar glazed ham
• Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Sandwiches
• Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb
• Arugula Pesto Pasta with Almonds and Burrata
• Warm Zucchini Salad with Mint and Pistachios

📖 Recipe

Jump to:

• What does Carrot Cake Taste Like?
• Ingredients
• How to Bake Carrot Cake from Scratch
• Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
• Freezing and Storing Instructions
• What to Serve with Carrot Cake
• 📖 Recipe