This Eggless Pineapple Carrot Sheet Cake is a delightful combination of flavors. It’s rich and spiced but also fresh and bright. Easy to make with simple ingredients. Step-by-step photo tutorial and lots of tips included.
Why I Love This Recipe
I’m not sure that I’ve ever had a cake quite as packed with flavor as this Eggless Pineapple Carrot Sheet Cake is.
It’s the perfect springtime cake. This recipe is flavored with fresh carrots, crushed pineapple, and a blend of spices, then iced with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. A lot of flavors going on here, but they work so well together.
This cake is surprisingly simple to make, and you won’t need any fancy ingredients.
I know you will love this one just as much as we do, so let’s get started!
Egg-Free Pineapple Carrot Sheet Cake Highlights
- The flavor is rich and spiced but also refreshing since the pineapple brightens up the cake’s flavor.
- The texture is supremely moist and pillow-soft.
- Super easy to make! The batter comes together quickly. You don’t even need a mixer.
- It’s baked as a sheet cake, so there’s no fancy decorating required!
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here, skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Make sure they’re not expired.
- Spices: ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Oil: Light-tasting oil, such as vegetable or canola, or any light-tasting oil of your preference.
- Sugars: You’ll need brown sugar and granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Sour cream: You can substitute sour cream for plain regular yogurt. I recommend using the full-fat versions. Learn how How to Make Sour Cream at Home!
- Milk: For baking, I like to use whole milk. However, you can use any milk you have handy, even plant-based.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract!
- Carrots: When baking with carrots, my #1 tip is to shred whole carrots yourself. Do not use packaged pre-shredded carrots because they are hard and dry.
- Pineapple: I recommend crushed pineapple instead of chunks since it acts more like a wet ingredient rather than an optional add-in. Use fresh or canned. (If you’re a fan of pineapple, try this eggless pineapple upside-down cake recipe next!)
Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
1 – Mix Dry Ingredients
2 – Mix Wet Ingredients
3 – Combine Dry and Wet
4 – Foil in Carrots and Pineapple
5 – Pour Batter into Pan
6 – Bake
7 – Make the Frosting
8 – Decorate
I added some chopped candied pecans on top, but this is totally optional.
Quick Baking Tips
Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
Preheat the oven at least 15 minutes before getting started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until you’ve evenly distributed the ingredients throughout the batter.
Bake the batter as soon as it is ready.
Don’t open the oven door until your baked good has set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time stated in the recipe.
Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time, so keep an eye on yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. I’d recommend stirring in a heaping 1/2 cup when you add the carrots and pineapple. The amount is up to you, about a 1/2 cup should be a good amount.
If you are not a fan of cream cheese frosting, you can beat one cup of whole milk Greek yogurt with one cup of heavy cream until soft peaks. Add 2-3 tablespoons sugar (granulated or powdered) plus 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and continue to whip until the peaks hold when the whisk is lifted. You can also use Vanilla Buttercream.
Yes, for a layer cake, divide the batter between two 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pans lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 30-35 minutes, use a toothpick to test for doneness.
You can use the batter from my Favorite Carrot Cake instead.
You can absolutely make these into cupcakes. Bake cupcakes for about 19-22 minutes at the same temperature. Use a toothpick to check for doneness.
Adapt This Recipe to Other Food Allergies
This recipe is egg-free, but you can certainly adapt it to other food allergies.
Gluten-Free
Substitute all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour mix. My favorite brands are Cup4Cup and King Arthur. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the baked goods proper structure. Also, gluten-free batters need to rest. So let your batter rest for about 30 minutes, so the flour has time to hydrate and soften before baking it.
Dairy-Free
Use your favorite plant-based, dairy-free, or vegan milk. Make sure to use an unflavored, unsweetened variety of non-dairy milk. Soy and oat milk have the best consistency and very neutral flavors. Also, use your favorite plant-based, dairy-free, or vegan yogurt.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store: Unfrosted cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Frosted Cake can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days.
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Freeze: Unfrosted cake can be frozen for up to 2 months. Let the cake cool completely. Make sure to wrap the cake tightly in several layers of plastic wrap to ensure it is tightly sealed. I also add an extra layer of aluminum foil for extra protection against freezer burn. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. Take into consideration that the cakes will lose part of their fluffiness if refrigerated or frozen.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- Eggless Carrot Cake Cookies
- Eggless Carrot Bundt Cake
- Eggless Carrot Cake Loaf
- Eggless Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Eggless Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Eggless Pineapple Carrot Sheet Cake
Ingredients
For the Eggless Pineapple Carrot Cake
- 3 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) salt
- 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (230 ml) light tasting oil, such vegetable or canola
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla
- 2 cups (260 g) carrots, shredded
- 1 cup (8 oz – 225 g) crushed pineapple, drained
For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz (224g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 1/3 cups (400 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Candied pecan to decorate, chopped (optional)
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 9-x-13-inch (35-x-24-cm) baking pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease with baking spray with flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together oil and sugars until well blended. Add milk, sour cream and vanilla; mix to incorporate.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Fold in the grated carrots and pineapple.
- Spread batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. If you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Allow cooling completely.
Make the Frosting:
- Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer on medium speed, beat in a large bowl the unsalted butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy, about 3 – 4 minutes
- Reduce mixer speed to low, add 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar and keep mixing until incorporated. Add cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Once incorporated, add the remaining confectioners’ sugar; beat on low speed for 1 minute, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 3 – 4 minutes until the frosting is smooth, scraping down the bowl once or twice.
- Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Sprinkle candied pecans on top, if desired.
- Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Preheat the oven at least 15 minutes before getting started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until you’ve evenly distributed the ingredients throughout the batter.
- Bake the batter as soon as it is ready.
- Don’t open the oven door until your baked good has set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time stated in the recipe.
- Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time, so keep an eye on yours.
Nutrition
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
