This carrot cake with pineapple is one of my favorite homemade dessert recipes.
This is an everyday cake that can be made very quickly.
And you’ll have guess it, the most time-consuming part is grating the carrots.
The mixture of cinnamon, pineapple and walnuts is simply delicious and the result is a very moist cake.
And let’s face it, it’s also a great way to get past the carrots that always end up in the fridge!
Hello nostalgia, this carrot cake will take you back to your childhood
Based on one of the recipes my mother used to make for me when I was younger, this is a cake that always brings me right back to my childhood.
The original recipe, which my mother used, appeared in a 1986 issue of Coup de Pouce Extra magazine.
My version is a lighter recipe because at the time, a lot of fat and oil was used.
It has also been adjusted to be lactose free.
About the glaze
The sugar glaze proposed in this recipe has the advantage of using all the ingredients since it uses the juice from the canned pineapple to make it.
However, feel free to use the icing you prefer if you’d like a thicker icing, one with cream cheese, etc.
Dairy-free carrot and pineapple cake
A delicious and moist dairy-free carrot cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 can of crushed pineapple (reserve the juice for the glaze)
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 cups grated carrots (about 6 carrots)
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
Pineapple glaze
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil* (if using)
- 3 tablespoons pineapple juice (from the can used for the cake)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F and place rack in center of oven.
- Drain crushed pineapple well over a bowl to reserve the juice.
- Reserve ¾ cup of the crushed pineapple.
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- In another bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer and gradually add sugar until mixture whitens and thickens.
- Add the oil and the compote and continue to whisk the mixture to incorporate the ingredients.
- Gradually add dry ingredients (flour, etc.) while continuing to whisk.
- Stir in pineapple, carrots and nuts and mix well.
- Pour the batter into a greased and floured round baking pan.
- Place in oven and bake for about 1 hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove from pan.
To prepare the icing
- Combine powdered sugar and coconut oil in a small bowl.
- Add 2 tbsp (30 mL) pineapple juice and mix well.
- If necessary, add more pineapple juice to make the glaze runny but not too runny.
- Pour glaze over cooled cake.
Notes
* Coconut oil should be used solid (not heated) to give a nice texture to the glaze.
