Pineapple Carrot Pound Cake

This cake features a beautifully plump, moist crumb, deep and warm complementary spices, and the wonderful, honeyed sweetness of bright pineapple. The pineapple lends additional moisture to this exciting cake, making every bite more rich and indulgent than the next.

This is definitely a cake that will have you coming back to the dessert table over and over.

In this Post:

The Recipe

Pineapple Carrot Pound Cake

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This Pineapple Carrot Pound Cake is rich, indulgent, and sweetly spiced. It’s perfect for any occasion, from holiday tables to birthdays!

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Cake:

• 250 g (1 c) boiling water
• 218 g (1 1/2 c) raisins (optional)
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• 384 g (3 c) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 114 g (1/2 c) butter, room temperature
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, solid, room temperature (optional)
• 114 g (1/2 c) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 250 g (1 1/4 c) granulated sugar
• 250 g (1 1/4 c) dark brown sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 180 g (1 c) freshly shredded carrots (not the pre-bagged kind)
• 125 g (1 c) crushed pineapple, with juice

For the Vanilla Simple Syrup:

• 125 g (1/2 c) water
• 100 g (1/2 c) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 154 g (2/3 c) cream cheese, room temperature
• 240 g (2 c) confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 –2 1/2 tbsp whole milk
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt

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Instructions

To Prep the Raisins:

1. Place raisins and cinnamon stick in a small bowl. 
2. Bring water to a boil.
3. Pour water over raisins. Allow the water to plump the raisins for 35-40 minutes. Drain raisins and set aside to cool to room temperature..

To Make the Batter:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.  It is highly recommended to use an oven thermometer for this recipe, since proper oven temperature will impact the finished product.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. 
3. Place the room temperature butter, cream cheese, and coconut oil (if using) in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer.  Mix on low speed until smooth.
4. Slowly add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.  
5. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each egg until it’s fully incorporated before adding the next egg.  Scrape the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
6. Add vanilla extract and mix until thoroughly combined.  
7. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until nearly combined.
8. Add all of the carrots and all of the pineapple and mix on low speed until nearly combined.  
9. Add the second half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until nearly combined.  Stop mixing just before the mixture is fully together.
10. Using a rubber spatula, fully scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.  Keep mixing until the batter is smooth and consistent. (Note: the batter will still be lumpy because of the fruit, but it should still look fully combined, meaning that there is no errant butter or flour hanging around).
11. Place the drained raisins in a small bowl.
12. Cover the raisins with two tablespoons of flour. Stir to combine the flour and raisins, then fold into the batter.
13. Grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan as you normally would and place the batter in the pan.
14. Bake the cake at a true 325°F for 65-75 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 212°F. 
15. Allow the cake to rest for ten minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

To Make the Simple Syrup:

1. Place the granulated sugar, water, and fine sea salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.
2. Allow to boil only until the solids fully dissolve. Remove from the heat and add the pure vanilla extract.
3. Allow to cool completely, then brush onto the completely cooled cake with a pastry brush.

To Make the Cream Cheese Glaze:

1. Place the cream cheese in a medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Use a hand mixer to mix the cream cheese until it is completely smooth. 
3. Place the confectioner’s sugar, fine sea salt, vanilla extract, and 1 ½ tbsp of whole milk into the mixing bowl. 
4. Using a small whisk, stir gently to combine. Stir until the confectioner’s sugar no longer collects moisture from the milk or the cream cheese. 
5. If necessary, add up to 1 ½ tbsp more of whole milk, but do it ½ tsp at a time.
6. The final glaze should be the consistency of thick honey, and should pour easily over the sides of the cake. Use a spoon, spouted measuring cup, or squeeze bottle to spread the glaze over the cake.
7. Enjoy!

Notes

Who’s still curious about the art and science of perfect pound cakes? 

You? Yay!!! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

To help you reach full pound cake proficiency (it’s a thing 😂), I’ve curated some of my favorite resources below! From my top tips for achieving the perfect pound cake texture to troubleshooting common baking issues, these articles will help you become a more confident baker. Keep reading to elevate your baking game!

• Author: Shani

Pineapple Carrot Pound Cake Ingredients

Recipe tinkerers, unite! By reading this section, you’ll learn some of the important baking science in this recipe, which will help understand how to personalize this recipe to a degree. While I don’t recommend wholesale changes to an existing recipe, there are always fun touches that you can add to make it your own! Read on to learn more!

Boiling Water & Raisins: The boiling water in this recipe does two important jobs. First, it plumps up the raisins, rehydrating them to create plump, juicy bursts of flavor throughout the cake. The hot water also helps bloom the spices, releasing their essential oils and intensifying their flavors. Adding a cinnamon stick to this steeping mixture creates an additional layer of warmth that permeates the entire cake.

All-Purpose Flour: The protein content in all-purpose flour is crucial for this amazing cake. At 384g (3 cups), we’re using enough flour to create a sturdy structure that can support the weight of our carrots, pineapple, and plump raisins without becoming dense. Cake flour would likely cause the ingredients to sink to the bottom, so a flour that can support our heavy-duty ingredients is important here.

Spices & Salt: This cake’s blend of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves isn’t just for flavor – these spices are the reason for this cake’s deep, delicious aroma and taste. The kosher salt is absolutely crucial here; it not only balances the sweetness from both sugars but also helps to amplify the complex spice flavors. Remember, if using table salt, reduce the amount by half!

Butter, Coconut Oil (optional, but lends a tropical element) & Cream Cheese: This trifecta of fats creates magic in our cake! The butter provides essential flavor and helps create air pockets during creaming, while solid coconut oil adds a subtle tropical note that complements the pineapple. The cream cheese is another member of this fat all-star team – its tangy notes balance the sweetness, while its unique protein structure helps create an incredibly tender crumb.

Granulated & Dark Brown Sugar: Using two types of sugar isn’t just about sweetness – it’s about texture and flavor complexity. The granulated sugar helps create those crucial air pockets during creaming, while the dark brown sugar, with its molasses content, brings moisture, a deeper color, and caramel notes that complement our spices beautifully.

Eggs: Five whole eggs provide structure, richness, and stability to this substantial cake. The proteins in the egg whites help create structure, while the fat-rich yolks add tenderness and contribute to the cake’s velvety texture.

Vanilla Extract: A full tablespoon might seem generous, but with the bold flavors of spices, carrots, and pineapple, we need this amount to ensure the vanilla notes shine through.

Fresh Carrots: Fresh carrots are non-negotiable here! Pre-shredded carrots are often dry and can be bitter. Freshly grated carrots release natural moisture and sugars, contributing to both the texture and sweetness of our cake. Plus, they carry essential natural enzymes that help tenderize our cake’s crumb. Pre-bagged carrot shavings cannot deliver the necessary moisture for this cake.

Crushed Pineapple: The crushed pineapple, along with its juice, does triple duty in this recipe. First, it provides moisture. Second, its natural acids tenderize the cake’s crumb. Finally, those same acids activate our baking soda, helping create the perfect rise. Never drain your pineapple for this recipe – that juice is liquid gold!

Baking Soda: With acidic ingredients like pineapple and cream cheese in our recipe, baking soda is our leavener of choice. It reacts with these acids to create the carbon dioxide bubbles that help our cake rise to perfect heights.

Techniques for the Best Cakes

Who among us wants to learn how to consistently make the most amazing cakes? Well, lean in dear BB, because that’s what this section is about! Here at BwB, I love love love when you come and grab a recipe, but the real magic happens when you learn how to master a technique, and then you can use that technique in every pound cake you ever make. 

That’s why I’m giving you the following links! They cover so many fun techniques that will take your baking to the next level, and will allow your confidence to soar to new heights!

• My Favorite Bundt Pans
• Sifting: Quick Technique, Huge Impact
• Meet Your Kitchen BFF–Your Digital Kitchen Scale!
• Technique Tips for the Best Pound Cakes
• How to Cream Butter and Sugar (With New Video!)
• Baking 101: How to Measure Ingredients
• How to Grease a Bundt Pan
• The Best Tools for Perfect Pound Cakes
• Knowing When to Stop a Technique
• Begin with Butter Home Baking Academy | Perfect Pound Cakes Class!

These resources are super helpful to help you build consistency and confidence on your baking journey. Happy reading!

But wait! There’s more! Grab your coffee or a glass of wine and get ready to check out my favorite equipment!

Important Tools

Guess what? Begin with Butter has its own Amazon Storefront, where you can find all of the amazing equipment that I used in this Pineapple Carrot Pound Cake! Want even more specific product recommendations? Check out the product links, below.

I do get paid a commission when you purchase, but these are the tools that I use all the time in my own kitchen.

If you have these tools already, great! Think of this as a checklist to help you build the confidence that you’ll need to execute this cake!

• Taylor Oven Thermometer
• ThermoWorks Square Dot Thermometer
• Ozeri Pronto Digital Food Scale
• OXO Digital Food Scale
• KitchenAid Hand Mixer
• KitchenAid Stand Mixer 
• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set
• Deli Containers for Prep
• OXO Spatula Set
• Sifter
• My Absolute Favorite Pound Cake Pans

Conclusion: This Cake is Another Day in Paradise

This moist, richly-spiced Pineapple Carrot Pound Cake is truly a slice of heaven. Each forkful reveals layers of flavor – from the tender crumb (that’s positively bursting with sun-sweetened pineapple) and delicious threads of fresh carrot layered throughout. 

The sweet, plump raisins add little pockets of intense sweetness, while the warm embrace of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves hugs you from your mouth to your tummy. That gloriously golden crust, kissed by caramelized sugars, gives way to an impossibly tender interior that practically melts on your tongue.

Whether you’re enjoying a thick slice for breakfast (I won’t tell! Shoot, I wish I could join you!), serving it at your next gathering, or savoring a piece with your afternoon coffee, this cake has a way of making any moment feel special. 

As always, if you make this cake, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below! Don’t forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @beginwithbutter so I can see your beautiful creation. Happy baking, BBs!

See you tomorrow for Day 6 of the Twelve Days of Pound Cake!