How to improve on carrot cake? Add coconut and pineapple to it! This tropical tasting Coconut Pineapple Carrot Cake with a coconut cream cheese frosting is easy to make and utterly delicious. Perfect for celebrations…or just when you fancy a bit of a treat!
I’ll admit it, I have a huge weakness for carrot cake…it’s definitely up there as one of my all-time favourites…along with chocolate cake, of course…and coffee and walnut cake…and lemon drizzle…and, well, quite a few others too now I come to think of it…
Actually, this cake was originally supposed to be a chocolate cake…with mini eggs or cream eggs or maybe even both on top. It came about because I wanted to create a really good dessert for Easter lunch. But when I started researching ideas for Easter cakes, I noticed that carrot cake was a really big thing at Easter time too and it started my brain ticking over…I mean chocolate cake is nice, but what if you wanted to make something a bit different for Easter? Especially as by Easter lunchtime everyone might be feeling a little bit chocolated out!!
I’m not quite sure why carrot cake seems to be such a big thing Easter…do you? I can only guess that it goes something along the lines of… Easter is when the Easter bunny comes to visit…rabbits like carrots – therefore we should all eat carrot cake… Whatever the reason, I think it sounds like a jolly good idea!
Anyway, I discovered lots of different versions of carrot cake in my Easter dessert research (I have a really tough job, I know!!) but the variation that really caught my eye was Coconut Pineapple Carrot Cake!! I mean carrot cake is lovely, but adding pineapple and coconut into the mix sounded just too awesome not to try!
So I experimented by adapting my tried and tested carrot cake that I have been baking for years, adding desiccated coconut and pineapple to the mix and I am so pleased with the result. This Coconut Pineapple Carrot Cake is that rare combination of light AND moist, and the not-too-sweet coconut cream cheese frosting just compliments it beautifully.
Now I’m not suggesting for a moment this Coconut Pineapple Carrot Cake is a health food – it is definitely an indulgence! But it contains a little less sugar than comparable cakes, especially the frosting, and it does contain lots of healthy ingredients, such as carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple…meaning you can feel a little less guilty about going for that second slice 😉
This Coconut Pineapple Carrot Cake also a very easy cake to make. Just combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another, then mix the two together – simples! No creaming, no folding, no need for fancy equipment, no worries about ingredients being the correct temperature. Just a bit of measuring and stirring…now that’s my kind of cake!
I have also kept my decoration very simple. It’s starts with a layer of coconut cream cheese frosting in the middle and another on top of the cake and then just a sprinkling of coconut, walnuts and orange zest on top and it’s done – effective, but simple…and pretty much fool proof (hey, if I can do it…you definitely can!)
If you decide to serve this cake as part of your Easter celebrations and wanted to make this cake a little more ‘Eastery’, you could replace the coconut/walnut/orange zest topping with a scattering of mini eggs instead. You could also very easily adapt this recipe and make little Coconut Pineapple Carrot Cupcakes instead – topped either with mini eggs or walnuts or just extra coconut and/or dried pineapple pieces.
Of course, being as this cake does not scream ‘Easter’, you could absolutely make it for any other occasions you wanted…or indeed just when you fancy a little treat! It’s so simple to make (and so yummy), it really would be a shame to save it just for celebrations!!
If you like this…
… then you are going to love:
Coconut Pineapple Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Coconut Pineapple Carrot Cake
- 350 g self raising flour (or all-purpose flour plus 4tsp baking powder)
- 325 g dark soft brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 75 g unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 50 g walnuts chopped into small chunks
- 250 g carrots grated
- 4 medium eggs
- 200 ml mild olive oil (or melted and cooled coconut oil)
- 150 g pineapple (fresh or from a tin) finely chopped or blended
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- 500 g full fat cream cheese (I used Philadelphia)
- 100 g butter softened
- 250 g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 100 g unsweetened desiccated coconut (optional)
For decoration (all optional)
- 25 g unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 50 g walnuts chopped into small pieces
- Zest of one orange
- Other options could include fresh coconut and dried pineapple pieces, mini eggs or creme eggs, edible flowers, or anything else you fancy!!
Instructions
Coconut Pineapple Carrot Cake
- Preheat your oven to 170C / 150 fan / gas mark 2 / 300F.
- Grease and line the base of two 18cm/7inch cake tins.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, coconut, walnuts and carrots.
- In a smaller bowl or jug, beat together the eggs and oil
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, then add the pineapple and stir again to distribute the pineapple evenly.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared tins and cook in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly.
- Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling wire and ensure the cakes are completely cold before covering with the frosting.
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until completely combined and light and fluffy, either by hand or using a hand mixer. Do not overmix!
Decoration
- Assess which is the flattest cake and if necessary trim to make flatter. Spread a generous amount of frosting on this cake then top with the second cake and cover with a generous amount of frosting.
- You could also cover the side with frosting too if you wish.
- Decorate using desiccated coconut, crushed walnuts and orange peel, fresh coconut and dried pineapple pieces, edible flowers, creme eggs or mini eggs (or use your imagination and have fun with it!!)
Notes
Pin Coconut Pineapple Carrot Cake for later
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Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says
Your cake sounds absolutely delicious Eb! I do have a soft spot for carrot cake and this version with those lovely additions would make me very happy! 🙂 Lovely Easter centrepiece without a doubt! x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jo – I do so love carrot cake and coconut and pineapple just makes it better!! 😀 Eb x
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
Ohh you had me at coconut and pineapple. This cake look amazing I could definitely eat a slice or two
Eb Gargano says
Haha – thanks Jacqui! If only they would invent printers that could print out food!! 😀 Eb x
Rebecca - Glutarama says
Love the addition of coconut to this recipe Eb, this happens to be hubbies favourite cake so I’ll have to treat him this weekend, simple to make gluten free, but will stick with the eggs so I’ll have to enjoy sniffing it instead haha xxx #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Aw, hope he likes it!! ? Eb x
Jenny Paulin says
this looks pretty amazing Eb. I love carrot cake and so do my kids (although they don’t like cream cheese frosting – yes they are strange,they prefer icing!). I have used pineapple in one years ago , but not with coconut too.I bet that takes this to another level of deliciousness. x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jenny! Yes you are right – it definitely takes it to another level of deliciousness!! 😀 Eb x
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
I didn’t think carrot cake could be improved upon but you have done it! I love this!
Eb Gargano says
Hahaha – thanks Kat. It’s definitely a notch above standard carrot cake, that’s for sure 😀 Eb x
Honest Mum says
Oh wow, how amazing does this look. You are so clever and your photography is out of this world too x
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks sweetie – you are too kind! Eb x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
Oh wow Eb this looks amazing! I adore carrot cake but I think you have just made it even better! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks so much, Kirsty 🙂 Eb x
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
Nice tropical additions Eb. I’m not sure why carrot cake is connected with Easter either….. I’d happily eat it at any time of the year…… although I agree, it could hardly be classified as a healthy option with all that cream cheese!
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
What a brilliant idea Eb! It sounds so tropical and most definitely yummy! I love carrot cakes, but a pimped up carrot cake with pineapple & coconut – well who could refuse 🙂 Thankyou too for linking up with #bakingcrumbs,
Angela x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Angela – so pleased I could join in 🙂 Eb x
Chelvi says
What a delicious recipe with pineapple. Looks pretty as well
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks Chelvi 🙂
Cat says
I love carrot cake but wouldn’t have thought to add coconut and pineapple to it. I bet they are delicious with the carrot x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Cat – yes the flavours work really well together. So delicious! Eb x
dannie says
I love the use of walnuts and desiccated coconut as topping for this great recipe.I serve this with a hot cup of milk or coffee in the afternoons.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Dannie. Oh yes that sounds perfect! Eb 🙂
Jase says
This is an amazing recipe.. Making two batches as I write this. Thank you for sharing. I love coconut and love the twist you’ve brought to this recipe. Just one question I had was how do you store this cake? And how long does it last
Eb Gargano says
Aw, I am delighted to hear this! Thanks for the lovely review and 5 stars 😀 You need to store it in the fridge because of the cream cheese frosting. I usually put it on a plate with a cover over the top on one of the shelves in my fridge. Alternatively, you can store the un-frosted cakes at room temperature in a cake tin and the frosting separately in a plastic lidded container in the fridge – then frost just before serving. It will last for up to 3 days in the fridge. (The unfrosted cakes themselves will last a little longer than this and can be frozen as well.) Hope that helps! Eb 🙂