Mini Pineapple Carrot Cake

This mini pineapple carrot cake is perfect for smaller gatherings for Easter!  The 6-Inch cake is moist, full of fresh carrots, and sweetened with diced pineapple.  The cake is finished with a light cream cheese frosting and a candied nut topping.

this recipe

Easy Pineapple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I think that says it all.  This mini 6-inch carrot cake is undoubtedly moist – thanks in part to the pineapple and sweet carrots.  But it also has a wonderfully soft texture, that only a cake should have.

And just like peas and carrots go together, so do carrots and cream cheese.  I suppose you could try a different frosting – like creamy butter free vanilla frosting or rich caramel frosting.  But I think you should give the cake a try with the cream cheese frosting first!

Does Carrot Cake always Have To INclude Pineapple? 

I have seen that pineapple is a controversial ingredient in carrot cake.  Because I happen to like pineapple in my carrot cake (it’s a childhood thing), and of course my pineapple upside down cake, it only seemed fitting my recipe included it.  But if pineapple is not your thing, give my gluten free carrot cake cupcakes or carrot and orange donuts a try!

However, I suppose it is totally a matter of preference.  I believe the origination of carrot cake did not include pineapple, but it has become an added ingredient over time.  Pineapple does add more sweetness and texture, along with a little controversy! 

Mini Easter Cake for Two

Smaller-portion desserts have gained some popularity over the last year.  Would seem fitting since we are participating and hosting smaller gatherings for celebrations and holiday’s.  And with Easter and other Spring celebrations, we still want (and deserve) delicious desserts!

That said, even if you are not socially distancing, maybe you just want a smaller cake for you and a cake buddy to celebrate Easter.  

Why You’ll Love This Cake

• 6-Inch Mini Cake – Even though the cake is small, it packs mighty flavor!  The cake serves two people, though it can easily serve 4 – 6 people depending on how big you want your slice.  In my house of two, we usually get 6 slices out of the mini cakes.
• Easy – Aside from grating some carrots and making candied nuts, the cake comes together easily.  You can even save a bowl by sifting your dry ingredients right over the top of the cake.  This is how I make my small batches:
  1. Set a fine mesh strainer over the bowl of wet ingredients.
  2. Pour the dry ingredients into the strainer.
  3. Shake the strainer over the bowl of wet ingredients, then fold everything together.   
• Moist – The grated carrots, pineapple, and oil keep this cake moist.  The texture of the cake is tender and soft.  Yet the cake is sturdy enough to support the delicious cream cheese frosting (or icing – depending on what you like to call the yumminess on top of a cake! 🙂 ).
• Bright Flavor – Fresh carrots are the way to go.  And I mean regular sized carrots.  Not the baby carrots that come in a bag.  There is a sweetness in carrots that is reminiscent of all the bright Spring flavors.  Which may be another reason why we love Carrot Cake for Easter!
• Light Cream Cheese Frosting – This is a decadent cream cheese frosting.  But we lighten it up slightly by using canned coconut cream instead of butter.  A can of coconut cream or milk (not carton) has smooth coconut solids.  I use it to make Whipped Cream.  It adds to the velvety texture of the frosting without being too heavy. 

What You Need To Make Pineapple Carrot Cake

Cake Ingredients

1. Fresh Carrots – At least 2 medium size carrots.
2. Pineapple – Canned or fresh – Omit if you prefer. 
3. All-Purpose Flour
4. Baking Powder and Baking Soda – We need both for rise and work with the acidity in the pineapple.
5. Salt
6. Ground Cinnamon, Ginger, and Nutmeg
7. Granulated Sugar
8. Light Brown Sugar – I recommend light because dark brown sugar may bring more molasses flavor than we want.
9. Neutral Oil – I use canola oil or melted coconut oil.  But any neutral tasting oil will work (i.e. grapeseed or vegetable).
10. Vanilla Extract
11. Egg

Frosting Ingredients

1. Cream Cheese
2. Unsweetened Canned Coconut Cream or Milk – Native Forest has small cans of coconut cream but any unsweetened can of coconut milk or cream could work. Just not carton coconut milk – it is not the same thing or texture.
3. Powdered Sugar
4. Vanilla Extract

Candied Nut Topping Ingredients

1. Walnuts and Pecans – Or any nuts you prefer
2. Granulated Sugar

Baking Equipment

• 6-Inch Round Cake Pan
• Parchment Paper
• Baking Sheet – For candied nuts to cool.
• Hand Held Mixer

Tips For Making A Mini Carrot Cake

• Use fresh carrots – I can’t imagine the small packaged or pre-shredded carrots will impart any flavor.
• Pineapple – I used canned pineapple, but fresh pineapple would be equally delicious.
• Don’t overmix the batter – Over-mixing the batter will likely make the cake tough.  Just mix ingredients until they are just incorporated.
• Watch the bake time – Every oven is different and your cake may not take the same amount of time as mine.  The cake is usually done when:
  1. It is springy to the touch. 
  2. The cake has started to separate from the sides of the pan.  
  3. A toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. 
• High altitude – I typically do not need to make any ingredient adjustments for my small batch recipes.  The only thing to watch is the bake time.  Baking at higher altitude may not take as long as lower altitudes.
• Bring the cream cheese to room temp – Cold cream cheese is hard to mix to smooth.  
• Sweeten the frosting to taste – You may decide you want more or less sweetness in your frosting.  I found 1/4 for this batch just right.
• Be careful while making the candied nuts – Hot sugar is well, hot.  Use a silicone spatula to mix the nuts and sugar and don’t touch the hot sugar!
• Storing the cake – If you have leftover, I recommend covering the cake with a cake dome or plastic wrap and refrigerating because of the cream cheese frosting.

More Spring and Easter Cake Recipes

• Mini Blueberry Angel Food Cake
• Berry Mousse Genoise Layer Cake
• Mini Sweet Lemon Cakes
• Snow Day Cake (Almond Cardamom and Coconut)
• Small Batch Strawberry Cupcakes
• Lemon Shortbread Cookies