If you’re looking for a fabulous carrot cake recipe, look no more. This Layered Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting is the best carrot cake I’ve ever tasted. It’s sweet but not too sweet; moist but not too dense or heavy. The frosting was a perfect match for the cake – light and creamy.
This cake has become one of my daughter’s favorite cakes. She’s not a cooked carrot lover, but the carrots in this cake just add sweetness and moisture.
Tropical Carrot Cake Details
- Two layers of moist, flavorful carrot cake loaded with pineapple, macadamia nuts, and coconut. Spiced just right with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
- Two layers of rich and delicious coconut cream cheese frosting. The cream cheese does a wonderful job of balancing all the sweet.
- When the above are eaten together they melt in your mouth.
It’s a tropical version of Cook’s Illustrated’s Simple Carrot cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. I added shredded coconut, crushed pineapple and macadamia nuts, topped with a Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting. I also reduced the spices so the tropical flavors would shine through.
The method for mixing the cake is a little unusual. You use the food processor to emulsify the oil with the sugar and the eggs before incorporating the rest of the ingredients. You could use an immersion blender, a mixer, or even a wire whisk.
Tips For A Great Tropical Carrot Cake
- All ingredients should be at room temperature, this will ensure even baking temperature so your edges are not over baked while your center is under baked.
- Clean your carrots well prior to shredding, remove the ends and any little wispy roots that are still hanging on. Using a food processor to shred your carrots will save you a lot of time and energy.
- When mixing the sugars, eggs, oil in the food processor this is emulsifying (combining) these ingredients into one. Be certain to process them well according to the recipe so they become completely emulsified together.
- When mixing in your additions (carrots, pineapple, nuts, etc) make sure they are evenly distributed throughout the batter so each bite gets all that flavor.
- When adding in your flour mixture make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl so everything gets mixed in completely.
- The frosting is a wonderfully rich and creamy and melts into each bite of cake. Due to its decadent nature and the cream cheese, it has a softer consistency.
- When toasting your coconut for garnish, do so on a parchment/Silpat lined baking sheet in a thin layer at 350 degrees F. Do not walk away to work on something else, the coconut can burn quickly. I suggest setting a timer for 2 minutes at time and keep an eye on it. Ideally, it will toast within 5 minutes. Let cool before adding to your cake.
- This cake is best served at room temperature.
Here’s a before and after baking picture of the carrot cake layers. I love that they bake up so nice and level and the color of the baked cakes is beautiful and there’s no need to ice the sides of the cake.
Can I bake this Tropical Carrot Cake in a 13 x 9-inch pan?
Yes, you can bake this cake in a 13 x 9-inch pan. Bake it for 35 to 40 minutes. I think it would make a great bundt cake too. Just make the frosting a little thinner so you can drizzle it over the bundt and then sprinkle with toasted coconut. Sally, Sally’s Baking Addiction, has a Cheesecake Swirl Carrot Bundt Cake and she cooks it for 55-75 minutes, or when the Internal Temperature Reads 210°F.
This Layered Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting is easy to make and everyone who’s tried it loves it. I’m sure your family will love it too.
Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour**
- 1 teaspoons baking powder *
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups peeled shredded carrots, (6 to 7 medium)
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar*
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup melted [Earth Balance Coconut Spread] or vegetable oil
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
- 1 can 8 oz. crushed pineapple, undrained
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup [Earth Balance Coconut Spread] room temperature
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking pan or 2 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
- Shred carrots in food processor fitted with large shredding disk; transfer carrots to bowl and set aside.
- Wipe out food processor bowl and fit with metal blade. Process granulated and brown sugars and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds. With machine running, add oil through feed tube in steady stream. Process until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer.
- Pour mixture into large bowl. Stir in carrots, coconut, nuts, and pineapple. Mix in dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time.
- Cool cake to room temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours. For 9-inch rounds Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. *I reduced the amount of baking powder and sugar for high altitude baking. Original recipe calls for 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder and 1 ½ cups sugar. **How to Measure Flour Note: Substitute ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon plus ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves for 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
- When cake is cool, beat together cream cheese, coconut spread, sour cream, and vanilla until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.
- Frost cake and sprinkle toasted coconut on top. Store in the fridge.
Nutrition
The Best Ever Coconut Bundt Cake, Barbara Bakes
Carrot Raisin Coffee Cake, Barbara Bakes
Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with a Coconut Cream Cheese Filling, Barbara Bakes
Carrot Cake Cheesecake, Easy Dessert Recipes
Pin It:
jehanne@thecookingdoctor.co.uk
that looks scrumptious, barbara..this is definitely to be bookmarked;-)
Irishbaker
looks delicious,I love carrot cake 🙂 Love the addition of coconut in the frosting.Recently made one myself with ginger which you can see here if you like http://easybakesandcakes.blogspot.com/2011/08/carrot-ginger-cake-from-cake-days.html
sandie
Sounds and LOOKS awsome Barbara!
teresa
oh this looks absolutely heavenly! what a delicious cake!
Linda
You have won me over to try that Earth Balance spread – I’m adding it to my grocery list today and just praying I can find it here in central Oklahoma. 🙂
In spite of making about a hundred different recipes of carrot cake and loving many of them, I always try a new one when I make it – I rarely go back to the same recipe. So guess what – I’ll be trying this one next time. Macadamia nuts, pineapple, and coconut? Yum!
Blond Duck
I don’t know why but I started singing “Kokomo” when I looked at this!
Perfecting Pru
I am definitely making this at the weekend. It looks wonderful. And it is true, give people two different types of cake and they always want a slice of both!
Keely aka The Richest Girl in Bondi
Love how you’ve added the coconut element. I am a piggy come dessert time – I want a slice, spoonful and sample of EVERYTHING!
bakingaddict
I love carrot cake! Must give this a try soon. Looks delicious!
Angie's Recipes
I adore the carrot cakes with tropical touch! This looks terrific!
Meghan
This cake looks beautiful! I always use coconut & pineapple in my carrot cake, but now I have to try adding macadamia nuts too! Sounds perfect 🙂
Cookin' Canuck
Carrot cake is one of my favorites (we even chose it for our wedding cake) and this version sounds wonderful!
Mike @ How To Make A Smoothie At Home
Excellent recipe. We love carrot cake & cannot wait to try.
Kitchen Belleicious
I am in love! Not only is cake the next best thing to cookies (remember i am a cookieholic) my favorite flavor is coconut! How divine this looks and I swear I could take it down all by myself! amazing job! Amazing
Becki @Becki's Whole LIfe
I love the twists on this carrot cake. I will have to look for the EB Coconut Spread..will take a look at Whole Foods next time I am there. I also love that you used pumpkin pie spice and macadamia nuts in this – I bet it was wonderful. I would have a slice of each, too!
Kerry
Wow coconut cream cheese frosting – what a fantastic idea! Definitely adding this to my ‘recipes to try’ bookmarks!
My Inner Chick
—Dear, B.
I can never get enough of your recipes.
Now I’ll need to make this, too.
I love the idea of coconut in the icing! WOWWWWW
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
What an interesting method-quite different and yet I can see how it would work too! Gorgeous cakes mum! xxx
Lauren from Lauren's Latest
I love all these cake recipes you’re posting! Carrot cake is one of my favorites. Love all the photos.
cindy
Wow Barbara you put all my favorite flavors in one cake. I have 2 half size bundt pans. These are perfect, one to keep, one to share. Can’t wait to make this one.