Perfect 1 Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake

If you’re anything like me, when summer rolls around, you crave something bright, sweet, and wildly tropical! Forget those heavy, plain cakes. We’re going straight for the good stuff—a cake bursting with sunshine and spice. This is the recipe I sneakily perfected during a very rainy week last year when I needed a vacation but couldn’t leave the kitchen. The blend of crunchy nuts, sweet carrots, and tangy pineapple is just spectacular.

Trust me when I say mastering this Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe will change your dessert game forever. It’s everything a carrot cake should be—super moist, loaded with texture, and impossibly delicious after a day in the fridge!

Why You Will Make This Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe Often

When you taste this cake, you’ll understand why I make it nearly every month. It’s not just a cake; it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that travels well and tastes even better the next day. We make it for birthdays, road trips—any excuse, really!

• Moisture Level and Texture

  Seriously, this cake cannot dry out. Thanks to the oil base and that gorgeous crushed pineapple, it stays incredibly tender for days. It’s the perfect dense crumb without being heavy.

• Flavor Profile of Our Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

  You get that warm hug from the cinnamon, but then—BAM!—the tropical sweetness hits you with the pineapple and coconut. This specific combination is why it’s the only Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe I ever use.

• Ease of Preparation

  It’s mostly dump-and-mix! Measuring the dry stuff, then the wet stuff, then folding it all together in maybe fifteen minutes total. Simple prep means less stress for you!

Gathering Ingredients for Your Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

Okay, now for the fun part: gathering the goods! You don’t need super fancy items, but quality really matters here, especially with the carrots. I always stress grating your own carrots fresh; those baggie ones are usually too dry, and we need all the moisture we can squeeze out for this Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe. Don’t skip draining that pineapple—that’s key for texture!

Dry Ingredients for the Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

Grab your large bowl first! You’ll want to use the spoon-and-level method for your flour, just to be safe:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda (make sure it’s fresh!)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients and Sugars for the Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

This is where the richness comes from. Make sure your brown sugar is nice and soft, packed firmly into the cup!

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil—yes, oil! It keeps it moist forever.
• 4 large eggs, beaten lightly

Flavor and Texture Add-ins for the Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

These are the stars of the show that make it tropical!

• 2 cups grated carrots (please grate these yourself!)
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well-drained
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (your choice on the nut!)
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Expert Tips for Perfecting Your Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

I’ve definitely made mistakes over the years trying to rush this recipe, so let me save you some trouble! Baking a cake loaded with wet fruit needs a little finesse. If you follow these two rules, you’ll nail that perfect texture every single time you make this glorious Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe.

The Secret to Avoiding a Dry Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

The number one enemy here is excess water. You have to drain that crushed pineapple until you think it’s dry, and then drain it again! I lay mine out on a few layers of paper towels and press down pretty firmly. Also, don’t skimp on the oil, but measure it correctly. Use the cup measurement tool and level it off—no guessing on oil volume!

Mixing Technique for Optimal Cake Rise

This is crucial for any cake that uses oil instead of just butter. When you introduce the wet mix to the dry mix, stop stirring the second you no longer see flour streaks. Seriously, grab a spatula and hand-fold it just a few times. If you keep mixing once the flour is incorporated, you’re developing gluten, and that ends up giving you a tough, gummy cake instead of the light crumb we’re aiming for!

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

Now that we have all our perfectly measured ingredients ready to go, let’s get this amazing cake into the oven! Remember what I always say: baking is chemistry, but making this Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe is pure fun. We’re aiming for texture and flavor paradise, so stick close to these steps.

Preparing the Pan and Oven for Your Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

First things first: we set the scene! Go ahead and get your oven warmed up to 350 degrees F (that’s 175 degrees C). Next, take your 9×13 inch baking pan—this recipe just loves that size! Really slather the insides with butter or baking spray, and then dust thoroughly with flour. We don’t want any sticking drama later when we try to cut into this beauty.

Combining the Dry and Wet Components of the Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

Time to mix up the base layers. In a big bowl, just whisk your flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. You don’t need to search for a second bowl, honestly, but keeping them separate initially helps things blend evenly! In another bowl, combine your sugars, oil, and then beat in those eggs one at a time until they look happy and uniform. Pour that liquid mix gently into the dry ingredients and mix only until they come together. Stop stirring when you see the last bit of flour disappear!

Folding in the Flavorful Additions for the Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

This is where the magic happens! Grab your spatula and gently, gently fold in those grated carrots, the thoroughly drained crushed pineapple, your chopped nuts, and that shredded coconut. When folding, use big, swooping motions from the bottom up. You are just marrying the ingredients together here; overmixing means a tough cake, and we are making the best Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe!

Baking and Cooling the Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

Pour that glorious batter into your prepared pan and smooth it out a touch. Pop it into that hot oven and set your timer for 30 minutes. Check it around 30 to 35 minutes by sticking a wooden pick right in the center. If it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it, you’re done! Pull that pan out, let it cool completely on a wire rack, and please, resist the urge to frost it warm—that frosting will just melt right off!

Cream Cheese Frosting for Your Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

You simply cannot serve this incredible cake without a tangy, luscious blanket of cream cheese frosting, right? Since I didn’t list my grandma’s secret frosting recipe in the main ingredients—because those secrets stay in the family—here is the standard combination I use when whipping up the perfect topping for my Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe. It truly pulls all those tropical flavors together.

Essential Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

The absolute most important rule here is temperature! Your cream cheese and butter must be fully brought to room temperature; if they aren’t soft, you end up with lumpy frosting, and trust me, we don’t want that!

• One standard block (8oz) of full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (one stick) of unsalted butter, softened
• 3 to 4 cups of powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• A tablespoon of milk or cream, just in case you need to thin it slightly

Whipping Up the Perfect Frosting for the Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

Get your mixer out! Start by beating the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until they are completely smooth and creamy—we are talking perfectly combined, no stringy bits allowed. Once that’s done, slowly start adding your sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low speed so you don’t wear your kitchen walls!

Once all your sugar is incorporated, turn the speed up to medium-high and beat it for a full minute until it’s light and fluffy. Beat in that vanilla extract right at the end. If you find the frosting is a little too stiff to spread beautifully across your cooled Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe, add that tablespoon of milk or cream until you hit the perfect smooth consistency.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for This Cake

I always get questions when people first try this recipe. It seems simple, but a few ingredient decisions really make or break the texture here. Don’t worry; I’ve figured out all the little tweaks so you don’t have to go through my experimental batches!

Handling the Pineapple

You absolutely must drain the crushed pineapple well. I mean it! If you dump that wet fruit in, you risk the middle of your cake being gummy and underbaked, even if the edges look done. Squeeze it dry using cheesecloth or a sturdy paper towel layer. That liquid is water, and we don’t need extra water; we need the fruit flavor!

Nut and Coconut Variations

Pecans are my personal favorite because they have that earthy, slightly buttery taste that pairs well with the cinnamon. However, walnuts are an easy swap if that’s what you have on hand. If you aren’t a huge coconut fan, you can omit it without much structural damage, though you lose some of that tropical flair. For a real treat, try tokes of macadamia nuts instead of the standard ones!

Serving Suggestions for Your Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

Once this beauty is frosted, you want the perfect partner drink, right? Because it’s so rich with pineapple and spice, I lean into light and bright flavors. Honestly, nothing beats a glass of iced coffee on a hot day, but if you are serving this after dinner, you have to try pairing it with something equally tropical.

It’s heavenly alongside a simple scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or even some frozen whipped topping. For the grown-ups, I have the best recipe for a pineapple coconut cream mocktail that cuts through the cake’s richness perfectly. It just screams “vacation!”

Storing Leftovers of the Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

If you manage to have any leftovers—which is a true feat in my house—storage is super important, especially once that cream cheese frosting is on top. Because we used real cream cheese and butter in the frosting, you absolutely must keep this Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe sealed up tight in the fridge.

It stays perfectly moist for up to four days in the refrigerator. Let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens up just a bit—that makes all the difference!

Frequently Asked Questions About This Cake

I always get the same questions popping up after I share this recipe. It seems simple, but a few ingredient decisions really make or break the texture here. Don’t worry; I’ve figured out all the little tweaks so you don’t have to go through my experimental batches!

Can I make this cake ahead of time?

Oh, absolutely! In fact, I highly recommend it. Like many spiced cakes, this one absolutely improves overnight. The flavors need time to settle into that moist crumb. I bake it one afternoon, let it cool completely, cover it well (unfrosted is best overnight), and then frost it the next morning. It tastes like you actually spent all day baking!

What is the best way to grate carrots for this recipe?

This is a game-changer, so listen up! If you use the food processor blade, those carrots get too fine, almost mushy, and they disappear into the cake batter. For the best texture—those little bits of carrot you want to chew on—you need the standard box grater. Use the medium-sized holes. It takes two minutes longer, but I promise, the difference in bite is worth the effort.

Can I freeze the Irresistible Hawaiian Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe?

Yes, you can freeze it, but you have to freeze it unfrosted! If you try to freeze it with the cream cheese frosting, the texture gets funky, and it might weep a little when thawed. Once the cake is fully cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, maybe two layers, and then stick it in a freezer bag. It keeps great for about two months, and you can defrost it overnight in the fridge. Definitely check out my tips for making a good carrot cake for general freezing advice!

Estimated Nutritional Snapshot

Now, I’m not a nutritionist—I’m just here to make sure you have a wonderful time eating cake! But since people always ask, here is a super rough idea of what you’re getting in a slice of this dense, fruity dessert. Please remember these are just estimates based on standard pantry ingredients.

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 35g
• Fat: 20g
• Carbohydrates: 42g
• Protein: 4g

Estimated Nutritional Snapshot

Now, I’m not a nutritionist—I’m just here to make sure you have a wonderful time eating cake! But since people always ask, here is a super rough idea of what you’re getting in a slice of this dense, fruity dessert. Please remember these are just estimates based on standard pantry ingredients.

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 35g
• Fat: 20g
• Carbohydrates: 42g
• Protein: 4g

Print