This small batch carrot cake with pineapple is plush, moist, and easy to make. Finely shredded carrots and crushed pineapple add natural sweetness and flavor to the 6-inch spiced cake, and it’s topped with a velvety cream cheese frosting. A scaled-down, classic dessert that comes together in under an hour.

Slice of pineapple carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on a plate.

Why I’m Team Pineapple In Carrot Cake

I’ve never really understood the debate around pineapple in carrot cake. Every time I test this recipe — and I’ve tested it plenty — I come back to the tropical sweetness. The pineapple blends with the shredded carrots, and adds moisture to the crumb, and gives the cake a plush texture. And honestly, it’s the only way my veggie-dessert-averse husband will touch carrot cake.

If pineapple isn’t your thing, no judgment — you can skip it and add a little extra oil to keep the batter balanced. Or try my almond-flour carrot cake cupcakes or my small batch carrot cake bars — both are pineapple-free and just as easy.

This cake is intentionally simple:

Oil instead of butter (no creaming needed!), which keeps the cake so moist.
No fancy equipment required. A couple mixing bowls and a whisk, that’s it.
Simple ingredients, plus your favorite spices.
Classic cream cheese frosting, with nuts for decorations.

It’s the kind of small batch cake I make on a warm spring day, or chilly fall night when we want just enough dessert. And there is so much flavor variety in the nostalgic cake that makes grating the carrots worth it. 😉

Steps To Make A Small Carrot Cake

Here’s how this scaled-down carrot cake comes together, step by step. The hardest part is grating the carrots. Really.

Finely grate the carrots on a box grater or in a food processor.
Dice the pineapple into small pieces and drain off the excess liquid.

Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet in the mixing bowl and gently combine.
Add the prepared carrots and pineapple to the bowl and mix to just combine.

The carrot cake batter is thick – just be careful not to overmix it.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until springy to the touch.

Cream cheese frosting with nut decorations on a small carrot cake slice on a wood plate. — Finish the carrot cake with homemade cream cheese frosting and chopped nuts for decoration.

I give you a simple cream cheese frosting recipe in the recipe card. Or, you can also use my maple cinnamon cream cheese frosting, which is made with whipped cream and is super light and fluffy.

A Few Testing Tips Before You Bake

Use whole carrots, not pre-shredded. Freshly grated carrots bring moisture and better flavor. The bagged ones are too dry and too thick to melt into the crumb.
Keep the pineapple small and well-drained. Dice it into bite-sized pieces so it folds into the batter, and drain off excess juice. Canned, fresh, or even crushed pineapple all work.
Customize the spices. I like cinnamon and a little ginger, but you can adjust the blend to whatever you reach for most.
Don’t panicstress about the carrot volume. It looks like a lot going into the bowl, but the carrots bake down and create that soft, tender crumb.
Bake it all the way through. This is a naturally moist cake, so expect a full bake. A toothpick should come out mostly clean, and the top should spring back lightly when touched.

Did You Make It? Let’s Hear About It!

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Tell me – do you like pineapple in your carrot cake? 🍍🥕 Let me know in the comments below with a rating. This will help other bakers find my small batch recipes!