Tropical Carrot Cake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on November 6, 2011
Time
2 hours, plus 1½ hours chilling
Yield
Serves 12
Ingredients
Pineapple Pudding
1 pound (454 grams) frozen pineapple chunks, thawed½ cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed 6 tablespoons (1½ ounces/43 grams) cornstarchCake
2 ½ cups (12½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice ¾ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon table salt 12 ounces (340 grams) carrots (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks1 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) sweetened shredded coconut 1 ¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) granulated sugar ½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar 4 large eggs 1 ½ cups vegetable oilCream Cheese Frosting
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) confectioners' sugar 16 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softenedPinch table salt 3 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) sweetened shredded coconut, toastedBefore You Begin
You'll need one 14-ounce bag of sweetened shredded coconut for this recipe. To toast the coconut for the frosting, spread it on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 325-degree oven, stirring often, until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Instructions
- Process pineapple chunks and concentrate in food processor until smooth. Transfer to medium saucepan and whisk in cornstarch until smooth. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 1/2 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray. Line pans with parchment and spray parchment with cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and salt in large bowl.
- Process carrots in food processor until finely ground. Transfer to large bowl and wipe processor bowl dry. Process coconut with granulated sugar until coconut is finely chopped. Add brown sugar and eggs and blend until mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. With machine running, slowly pour in oil and process until combined.
- Transfer mixture to bowl with carrots. Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup pudding mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack, peel off parchment, and let cool completely, about 2 hours.
- With electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and beat until incorporated. Beat in remaining 1 cup pineapple pudding and salt. (Mixture will appear slightly grainy.) Refrigerate until ready to use.
- When cakes are cooled, spread 2 cups frosting on 1 cake. Top with second cake and spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top and press into sides of cake. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 days.
for the pudding
for the cake
for the frosting
Time
2 hours, plus 1½ hours chillingYield
Serves 12Ingredients
Pineapple Pudding
1 pound (454 grams) frozen pineapple chunks, thawed
½ cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
6 tablespoons (1½ ounces/43 grams) cornstarch
Cake
2 ½ cups (12½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon table salt
12 ounces (340 grams) carrots (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) sweetened shredded coconut
1 ¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) confectioners' sugar
16 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened
Pinch table salt
3 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pineapple Pudding
1 pound (454 grams) frozen pineapple chunks, thawed
½ cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
6 tablespoons (1½ ounces/43 grams) cornstarch
Cake
2 ½ cups (12½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon table salt
12 ounces (340 grams) carrots (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) sweetened shredded coconut
1 ¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) confectioners' sugar
16 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened
Pinch table salt
3 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pineapple Pudding
1 pound (454 grams) frozen pineapple chunks, thawed
½ cup frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
6 tablespoons (1½ ounces/43 grams) cornstarch
Cake
2 ½ cups (12½ ounces/354 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon table salt
12 ounces (340 grams) carrots (about 6 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup (3 ounces/85 grams) sweetened shredded coconut
1 ¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
Cream Cheese Frosting
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) confectioners' sugar
16 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened
Pinch table salt
3 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For our Tropical Carrot Cake recipe, we wanted to build on the warm flavors of traditional carrot cake by adding coconut and pineapple. To get these tropical flavors to stand out in our recipe, we ground the coconut and sugar together in the food processor, which eliminated the coconut’s stringy texture and extracted maximum coconut flavor. Canned pineapple failed to give us the intense pineapple flavor we wanted in our Tropical Carrot Cake recipe, so we used a combination of frozen pineapple chunks and pineapple juice concentrate, which gave the cake a bold, fresh pineapple flavor. To add two more layers of tropical flavor, we incorporated more pineapple in our cream cheese frosting and pressed toasted coconut onto the sides and top of our Tropical Carrot Cake.
Before You Begin
You'll need one 14-ounce bag of sweetened shredded coconut for this recipe. To toast the coconut for the frosting, spread it on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 325-degree oven, stirring often, until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Instructions
- Process pineapple chunks and concentrate in food processor until smooth. Transfer to medium saucepan and whisk in cornstarch until smooth. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 1/2 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray. Line pans with parchment and spray parchment with cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, and salt in large bowl.
- Process carrots in food processor until finely ground. Transfer to large bowl and wipe processor bowl dry. Process coconut with granulated sugar until coconut is finely chopped. Add brown sugar and eggs and blend until mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. With machine running, slowly pour in oil and process until combined.
- Transfer mixture to bowl with carrots. Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup pudding mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack, peel off parchment, and let cool completely, about 2 hours.
- With electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and beat until incorporated. Beat in remaining 1 cup pineapple pudding and salt. (Mixture will appear slightly grainy.) Refrigerate until ready to use.
- When cakes are cooled, spread 2 cups frosting on 1 cake. Top with second cake and spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top and press into sides of cake. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 days.
for the pudding
for the cake
for the frosting
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