Last updated on May 5th, 2025

This Old Fashioned Carrot Cake with Pineapple is a tender, super moist cake packed with warm spices, crunchy nuts and topped with a light cream cheese frosting. As Spring returns, it’s the perfect time to bake up this timeless dessert. as a weeknight sheet cake. I found this recipe inspiration for Carrot Pineapple Cake in my 1966 Better Homes & Gardens Pies and Cakes.”

My vintage inspiration.

My vintage inspiration comes from a recipe called Carrot Pineapple Cake in the 1966 Better Homes & Gardens Pies and Cakes” cookbook from my Vintage Cookbook Collection.

Converting recipes from vintage to modern…To bring this recipe up to date I used a combination of butter and oil to balance moisture and flavor, added additional warm spices, added ClearJel to retain moisture, and added more vanilla.

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

Butter is made from churned cream that contains 80% butterfat. European butter is churned longer and has a higher fat content (82%-85%), which is why it yields more flavor.
Canola oil is a type of vegetable oil made from the seeds of canola plant. It’s low in saturated fat.has a neutral, light flavor that gives baked goods tender texture.
Sugar is derived from sugarcane and provides sweetness to baked goods. The most common type being granulated white sugar. Cane sugar is a natural option that is less processed with a slightly courser texture.
Eggs are produced by female chickens and are important in baking because their proteins provide structure, they act as a natural leaving agent by trapping air that expands during baking, and they add moisture to baked goods.
Buttermilk is a cultured dairy product that adds a tangy flavor and creates tenderness in baked goods. When purchasing buttermilk, look for simple, natural ingredients such as “cultured milk”.
Carrots are a root vegetable grown underground, typically harvested in late summer. They are high in beta-carotene. While primarily orange, carrots can also be grown in other colors like purple, yellow and white.
Pineapple is a tropical fruit grown on a pineapple plant commonly sold as chunks, slices, crushed, or tidbits, packed in its own juice or in light or heavy syrup.
Vanilla provides hints of caramel and spice, enhancing the depth of flavor to baked goods. Always use a high-quality, all-natural brand made from real vanilla beans containing at least 35% alcohol.

Dry Ingredients

All-purpose unbleached flour is made by grinding the seeds of the wheat plant and removing the bran and germ. It has a moderate protein content of 10-12%, making it a versatile option for baking cookies, cakes, and pastries.
Instant ClearJel is a modified food starch used as a thickener, stabilizer, and gelling agent, used for pie fillings creating a clear, smooth texture rather than cloudy. In baked goods it helps retain moisture and produces a light, tender texture.
Baking powder is a leavening agent that contains both an acid, like cream of tarter, and a base, like baking soda to help baked goods rise. Use a double-acting aluminum-free baking powder to avoid a bitter aftertaste.
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a leavening agent that, when combined with an acid (like lemon juice, buttermilk, or vinegar) creates carbon dioxide gas to make baked goods rise.
Pink salt is a natural rock salt mined near the Himalayas that contains trace minerals
Cinnamon comes from dried bark from the tropical Asian cinnamon tree. There are two types Cassia and Ceylon, found as whole sticks or ground. Cassia has a warm, sweet flavor and is more commonly used, while Ceylon known as “true cinnamon”, has an intense spicier bite.
Nutmeg is a warm spice that comes from the nutmeg tree in the Spice Islands. It is available as whole nutmeg, grated or pre-ground.
Cloves are the dried flower buds from clove trees, grown in the Spice Islands. Whole cloves are used to infuse flavor into culinary dishes, while ground cloves add a warm, spicy kick to baked goods.

Frosting

Cream cheese is made from cultured cream and milk, giving it a mild, tangy flavor.
Confectioners’ sugar, also known as powdered sugar, is made from finely ground granulated sugar mixed with a small amount of cornstarch to prevent clumping. Its fine texture, makes it perfect for smooth frostings and glazes on baked goods.
Pecans are a tree nut that grown on pecan trees in the United States and Mexico. They add texture and sweet nuttiness flavor to baked goods.

Make Your Own Ingredients

BUTTERMILK: Add 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup and add cream or whole milk until it reaches the 1 c. measure line and let it sit for a few minutes before use.

VANILLA: Purchase Grade B vanilla beans (also called extract-grade), which have less moisture and a more concentrated flavor. Place 8 oz. of bourbon (or vodka) in glass bottle or jar. Split 5-7 vanilla beans down the middle and add to bottle. Let it sit for 3-6 months in a cool, dark place. As you use it, continue to replace the bourbon and add more beans as it keeps for many years.

Step #1: PREP

•Preheat oven to 350°.
•Prepare 9” x 13” pan by spraying with cooking oil spray and flour lightly.
•Whisk together dry ingredients in bowl and set aside.
•Finely grate carrots and set aside. •Finely chop nuts and set aside.
•Place butter and cream cheese on counter to soften.

Step #2: MAKE BATTER

1. Place dry ingredients into the mixer.
2. Add oil, butter, eggs, buttermilk, pineapple and vanilla and blend until just combined.
3. Pour batter into greased pan.

Step #3: BAKE

1. Bake at 350° for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick placed in center comes out clean.
2. Allow cake to cool before adding frosting.
TIP: To help retain moisture in your cakes, cover them with a baking sheet right after taking them out from the oven. Let them cool for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and turn the cake out onto a piece of parchment paper. Then wrap right away in saran wrap.

Step #4: MAKE THE FROSTING

1. In a mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
2. Add confectioners sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt.
3. Stir in 1/2 c. of pecans.

Step #5: DECORATE

1. Finish the cake by using an off-set spatula to frost the top.
2. Place a couple whole pecans on the top center of the cake.

Step #6: STORAGE

Baked: Cover in air-tight container and leave on counter up to 3 days. To freeze, cover in saran wrap and place in freezer-safe container up to 6 months. Thaw on counter in the container for 1/2 hour before opening up the container.

Unbaked Batter: Prepare batter and place in a sealed container up to 3-5 days in refrigerator.

Baker’s Tips

When using pineapple be sure to read if you need the juice or not. Drain the juice and measure it out before adding to the batter. Then add back into the recipe. Use crushed pineapple packed in 100% juice, to avoid added sugar to the recipe.
Use fresh carrots instead of pre-shredded for more moisture and flavor. Tri-color carrots add a fun variety of color.
Choose an oil that is neutral tasting and light in flavor like Canola Oil or Extra Light Olive Oil. If your cake recipe calls for butter, you can substitute using all oil or if you still want to get flavor from butter use a combination of oil and butter together.
If ClearJel is hard to find, use cornstarch as a substitution. For every 1 T. of cornstarch, use 1 1/2 T. ClearJel. For every 2 T. flour or tapioca, use 1 T. ClearJel. You can find it online here.
Use full fat cream cheese sold in the brick for the best all natural taste. Avoid cream cheese in the tub, which is technically a spread loaded with additives. Cream cheese frosting tends to be thin, so if you plan to pipe it on a cake, add 1-2 tsp. cornstarch or instant clearjel for stability.

Dietary Substitutions

For the past 12+ years, I have owned an all-natural specialty bakery converting conventional recipes to gluten free, vegan, wholesome, etc. Read more about it here.

TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE

Here are some tips for gluten free baking

Use a premium gluten-free flour blend. This is my handcrafted blend I use in my bakery.

Be sure to let the batter rest to help eliminate grittiness. Even letting the batter sit 15 minutes will yield a light and tender baked good. You can let batter sit in the fridge overnight, and up to 3 days.
Add 1-2 tablespoons additional liquid (use the same liquid called for in the recipe) to help hydrate the flour.
Reduce the oven temperature by at least 25° to bake low and slow, since gluten-free flour is delicate and tend to burn before the center is cooked through.
Gluten-free baked goods have a shorter shelf-life than conventional baked goods and dry out faster. Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days. The refrigerator tends to dry them out more, so it is best to freeze up to 6 months.

TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE

Swap out the butter with unsalted vegan butter sticks.
To replace the egg, place 1 tsp. of baking soda into your baked good and pour 1 T. white vinegar on top of the baking soda.
Replace the dairy with unsweetened oat or almond milk.

Equipment

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