Amish Carrot Cake
Carrot cake that’s made with crushed pineapple and pecans and topped with a delectable cream cheese frosting is one of my all-time favorite cakes. It’s a deep-flavored moist cake with carrots and pecans in every bite.
And let me assure you, there is no comparison between this cake and store-bought carrot cake mixes. I’m ok with some kinds of cake mixes, but carrot cake mixes taste far too artificial for my liking. So if I’m going to eat carrot cake, it has to be homemade.
And this Amish carrot cake is good on its own. Or you could dust the top with powdered sugar and call it good. But topping it with cream cheese frosting takes it to another level, making it irresistibly delicious!
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Shredded Carrots Recipe
Making this Amish carrot cake recipe is a great way to use up extra carrots. And I highly recommend using freshly grated carrots (don’t use the bagged shredded carrots) for this recipe.
My mom used to plant lots of carrots in her garden. Then she kept them in the dirt in our cold root cellar over the winter. So we had plenty of homegrown carrots to use for making this delicious old-fashioned carrot cake.
Another great thing about carrot cake is the additional vitamins you get from eating carrots. It’s a vegetable and dessert in one. So, even though we all know that cake is not the healthiest thing to eat (because of all the sugar, etc.), sneaking vegetables into dishes that your kids love is a great way to get more vegetables into their diet 😉 .
And I don’t feel quite as bad about eating a slice of this pineapple pecan carrot cake with my coffee in the morning as eating my favorite chocolate cake or Amish shoofly cake. Because, as you can tell, it has more added nutrition and protein than a lot of cakes do.
Walnut Carrot Cake or Pecan Carrot Cake
I like to use pecans to make this carrot cake because I’m partial to the flavor of pecans. And they add so much richness to the flavor profile.
But if you prefer walnuts, or if that’s all that you have on hand, they’ll work as well.
Make-Ahead Moist Carrot Cake
This carrot cake with pineapple and pecans is moist and dense, but each forkful tastes super soft and luscious. And if made ahead, the flavor intensifies and the cream cheese frosting seeps into the layers, creating an even more tender bite.
So if you’re looking for a good make-ahead cake whose taste and texture won’t be compromised, this is the one!
But this carrot cake will need to be refrigerated. And it will keep well in the refrigerator for at least a week. After a week the flavor may start to fade, and the cake may begin to dry out.
You can, however, freeze tightly wrapped and unfrosted cakes for up to several months.
Layered or 9×13″ Carrot Cake
This recipe is perfect for making an easy 9×13″ carrot cake or a layered carrot cake.
If you’re looking for a more classy-looking cake then make it in layers. But if you want to go the easiest route, bake it in a greased 9×13″ pan.
The batter fits into two 9″ round pans. However, if you prefer thinner layers you can divide the batter between three 9″ pans. Although you need to remember that a thinner cake will not require as long baking time. So you will need to adjust the baking time accordingly.
If you are making a layered cake, you will want to spray and parchment-line the bottom of the pans for easier removal.
A pie server is perfect for serving layered cake.
Cream Cheese Frosting for Amish Carrot Cake
For some reason, carrot cake and cream cheese frosting is a perfect combination. The cake and frosting compliment each other so well!
And I feel sorry for you if you don’t like cream cheese frosting 🙂 . But I suppose that carrot cake would also be amazing with buttercream.
Or if you’re like my daughter, and you prefer the cake without any frosting at all, then you can enjoy it plain and skip the frosting step altogether.
Carrot Cake is a Perfect Dessert for your Easter Dinner!
If you enjoy this carrot cake with pineapple and pecans, leave me a comment below. And try this Amish Applesauce Cake and my Amish Angel Food Cake recipes as well.
Amish Carrot Cake Recipe with Pineapple and Pecans
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 c. sugar (or use 1 c. sugar and 1 c. brown sugar)
- 1 1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 1/2 c. shredded carrots (approx. 4 large carrots)
- 1 c. crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 pkg. (8oz.) softened cream cheese
- 1 c. softened butter (2 sticks)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 – 3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Instructions
To Make the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Spray two 9" round cake pans with cooking spray and cut parchment circles to place into the bottoms. Or you can bake this cake in a greased 9×13'" pan.
- In a mixing bowl, with paddle attachment, mix oil and sugar.2 c. sugar (or use 1 c. sugar and 1 c. brown sugar), 1 1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil
- Add the eggs and mix until creamy.4 large eggs
- Add the shredded carrots and pineapple. Mix to combine.2 1/2 c. shredded carrots (approx. 4 large carrots), 1 c. crushed pineapple, drained
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add this to the wet ingredients and mix only to combine.2 c. all-purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Stir in the nuts.3/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- Bake for 35 – 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth, add the butter, and beat till it's creamy.1 pkg. (8oz.) softened cream cheese, 1 c. softened butter (2 sticks)
- Add the vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar and mix, scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat for about a minute or until it's creamy and fluffy.3 – 3 1/2 c. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp. salt
- Frost cake when cool.
- Store this cake in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Tried this recipe last night with the recipe’s 1 1/2 cups oil, but I don’t know how you get to incorporate that so much oil. Just wondering if there’s a typo with that. Mine did not mix well and so the cake came out so oily and since I was using springform pan, the oil was dripping as well. It still tastes good though, not so sweet.
I’m sorry it didn’t work the best for you. It is not a typo, it’s one and a half cups. This is the recipe my mom used, and I’ve made it many times. Never had a problem with too much oil. Not sure what would have happened?