Carrot Pound Cake

Old fashioned Carrot Pound Cake Recipe with pineapple and brown butter cream cheese glaze! We'll make this moist carrot pound cake without using cake mix -- it's the ultimate carrot cake recipe!

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And if you like this cake, you'll love my Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake, my Mini Red Velvet Cake, and my Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake!

Old Fashioned Carrot Pound Cake Recipe

I love carrot cake, and this moist carrot pound cake is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! It's a rich, buttery pound cake with warm spices, fresh grated carrots, crushed pineapple, and toasted pecans. Then we'll top all of that off with my favorite brown butter cream cheese glaze. It's irresistible, especially for carrot cake lovers!

This is a larger scale variation on my Mini Carrot Cake -- check that recipe out if you've got a small crowd to feed! And this recipe is also based on my Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake and my Peach Cobbler Pound Cake. I used the brown butter cream cheese glaze from my Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls!

Carrot Pound Cake with Pineapple

If you haven't had carrot cake with pineapple before, you're in for a treat! Adding a little juicy pineapple to our carrot cake batter adds moisture, a little tang, even more sweetness, and more interesting texture. It ensures a delicious, moist cake, and it's so good!

Is there a difference between pound cake and regular cake?

Yes! A pound cake typically has more butter and more eggs, giving it a tighter crumb and a somewhat dense texture. Pound cake recipes like this homemade carrot cake, my Blueberry and Lemon Pound Cake, and my Salted Caramel Kentucky Butter Cake can be made in a Bundt pan, many cakes that are made in a Bundt cake pan aren't pound cakes.

For more, check out my post on the differences and similarities between pound cake vs Bundt cake!

Carrot Cake Pound Cake Ingredients

Today's recipe has several ingredients, but they're all worth it! Here's what you'll need:

• butter - in this recipe, we'll use unsalted butter. Make sure it's softened to room temperature before adding it in. If your kitchen is excessively hot or cool, you may want to check the temperature of your butter with a meat thermometer. It should be around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
• cream cheese - you'll want full-fat cream cheese, which should also be softened to room temperature.
• brown sugar - we'll use light brown sugar for this carrot bundt cake recipe to give it a rich sweetness and moister texture!
• eggs - you'll want your eggs to be at room temperature too. If they feel cold to the touch, submerge them in a bowl of lukewarm water for 15 minutes.
• vanilla - for the best flavor, I like to use pure vanilla extract. Or you can make your own!
• carrots - for the best carrot cake, make sure your grate your own carrots with a food processor or a box grater. Pre-shredded carrots are not your friend for this recipe!
• crushed pineapple - drain your pineapple with a fine mesh strainer, then measure it out.
• flour -  Measure your all-purpose flour by weight with a kitchen scale to make sure you don't accidentally add too much.
• cinnamon & nutmeg - these warm spices are perfect with the other flavors in this cake! And if you love these spices, check out the flavors in my Cinnamon Rolls Peach Cobbler or my Chai Spice Bundt Cake! And be sure to try my Cinnamon Roll Apple Pies!
• baking soda - this leavening agent helps to ensure a fluffy texture despite the heavier ingredients in this cake.
• salt - brings out all these amazing flavors!
• pecans - I like toasted pecans in this recipe, but you can also use raw chopped walnuts as well! To save time, I grab some packaged roasted pecans.
• cake release - I usually use baking spray with no problems, but with this cake's stickier batter, I opted for "cake goop": equal parts shortening, flour, and vegetable oil. Mix them with an electric mixer and use a pastry brush to brush a thin later of the goop onto your cake pan. Your cake will come right out!

Then, we're topping our cake with a luscious brown butter cream cheese glaze! For that, you'll need:

• butter - we'll be using brown butter for this glaze, which gives it tons of rich, nutty flavor! It's pretty easy -- you'll just need to heat your butter over medium heat in a light-colored pan until the milk solids separate and turn a warm caramel color. If you're new to browning butter, check out my post Browned Butter 101: How to Brown Butter for a detailed step-by-step!
• cream cheese - as above, make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature.
• powdered sugar - we'll use powdered sugar to provide the structure and sweetness for our glaze.
• milk - to help get our glaze to the perfect consistency!
• salt - just pinch of salt to bring out the flavors.

See recipe card for quantities.

Equipment

I recommend making this moist carrot cake pound cake in a high-quality Bundt or tube cake pan. I like the Elegant Party Bundt Pan from Nordic Ware. To mix this carrot pound cake recipe, I use my KitchenAid stand mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer.

I also recommend a rubber spatula for folding in the dry ingredients and scraping the sides of the bowl. You may also want to have a wire rack to help the cake cool more quickly and allow for your glaze to drip off the sides cleanly. I also like to use an instant-read thermometer in the center of the cake to check for doneness -- the thermometer should show 210℉.

Instructions

The recipe card below will give you detailed step-by-step instructions for making this cake, as well as full ingredient measurements and a recipe video! But here's a quick look at how you'll make this carrot pound cake recipe!

Cream butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla.

Mix in carrots and crushed pineapple.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl.

Add pecans (or walnuts) to flour mixture and stir to combine.

Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, gently mixing just until combined.

Spoon into prepared Bundt or tube pan and bake!

Once cake is cooled, prepare glaze and pour over cooled cake. Add pecans and enjoy!

Hint: This cake is even better the next day! The texture gets a little richer and the flavors meld together more. For the best results, let your cooled cake sit at room temperature under a cake dome or in another airtight container overnight before adding glaze.

Carrot Walnut Pound Cake

I love this cake with toasted pecans, but if you prefer, you can swap them out for walnuts! And walnuts are even easier because you don't need to toast them ahead of time! I use walnuts in my Banana Carrot Muffins and I love them! And if you need a gluten free option, check out my Gluten Free Olive Oil Cake!

Storage

You can store this moist carrot pound cake in the fridge, covered, for up to four days. Because of the cream cheese glaze, it's not a good idea to allow it to sit at room temperature for more than two hours.

You can also freeze this cake, well wrapped, for up to two months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related

Looking for other recipes like this carrot pound cake? Try these:

Easter Recipes

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this classic Easter dessert:

📖 Recipe

Carrot Pound Cake Recipe with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Glaze

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Old fashioned Carrot Pound Cake Recipe with pineapple and brown butter cream cheese glaze! We'll make this moist carrot pound cake without using cake mix -- it's the ultimate carrot cake recipe!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine :American, Soul Food

Servings: 18 slices

Calories: 397kcal

Recipe Source: Chenée Lewis

Equipment you may need

• 10-12 cup bundt pan
• food scale
• measuring cups and spoons
• mixing bowls
• pastry brush
• cooling rack
• stand mixer
• hand mixer
• box grater
• food processor
• instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter - room temperature (2 sticks)
• 6 ounces (170 g) full-fat cream cheese - room temperature
• 2¼ cups (495 g) light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs - room temperature
• 2 teaspoon (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup (118 g) canned crushed pineapple - drained
• 1 cup (128 g) carrots - freshly grated
• 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour - measured by weight using a kitchen scale or with the spoon and level method
• 2½ teaspoon (5 g) ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon (2 ml) ground nutmeg - freshly grated, if possible
• ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
• 1 cup (99 g) toasted pecans - chopped (plus more for topping)
• cake release spread, a.k.a. "cake goop" - or baking spray

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Glaze

• 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter
• 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese - room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar - measured by weight using a kitchen scale or with the spoon and level method
• 4 tablespoon (59 ml) milk - plus more to reach desired consistency

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Position oven rack in the center of the oven.
• Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl and use a hand mixer). Mix on low until creamy.
  6 ounces full-fat cream cheese, 1 cup unsalted butter
• Add brown sugar and cream together on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  2¼ cups light brown sugar
• Add in room temperature eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract, mixing well after each addition.
  4 large eggs, 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Add carrots and drained pineapple and mix in.
  1 cup carrots, ½ cup canned crushed pineapple
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined. Stir in pecans (or walnuts).
  2 cups all purpose flour, 2½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup toasted pecans
• Fold flour mixture into wet ingredients a little at a time, stirring after each addition, until just combined.
• Brush cake release (cake goop) all over inside of the pan, being sure to get it in the crevices.
  cake release spread, a.k.a. "cake goop"
• Spoon cake batter evenly into prepared pan. Tap pan firmly on the counter to eliminate air bubbles (you should see a few bubbles come to the surface).
• Bake in preheated oven for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick entered into the center of the cake comes out clean, or an instant-read thermometer in the center of the cake reads 210℉.
• Let cake cool in pan 10 minutes, then carefully flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Glaze

• Melt cubed butter over medium heat in a light-colored sauté pan. Allow to foam and continue stirring until milk solids have separated and butter begins to turn golden brown. Immediately transfer brown butter to a heat-proof bowl, scraping out brown bits with it. Cool to room temperature.
  4 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Beat softened cream cheese and cooled brown butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and salt.
  4 oz cream cheese, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, pinch salt
• Gradually add in powdered sugar, mixing on low, until combined. Beat another minute until smooth and creamy. Mix in milk to achieve desired consistency.
  2 cups powdered sugar, 4 tablespoon milk
• Pour glaze over cooled cake and top with chopped toasted pecans (or walnuts).

Video

Notes

For best results, let cake sit overnight under a cake dome or in an airtight container before preparing glaze.

To make "cake goop," add equal parts butter-flavored shortening, vegetable oil, and flour in a bowl. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to mix until smooth. Pour leftover cake goop into an airtight container for future use.

For further details on how to brown butter, check out my Browned Butter 101 post!

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 397 kcal | Carbohydrates: 53 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 19 g | Saturated Fat: 11 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 90 mg | Sodium: 278 mg | Potassium: 137 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 41 g | Vitamin A: 1818 IU | Vitamin C: 0.4 mg | Calcium: 85 mg | Iron: 1 mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can't wait to see (and share) your results! Follow me on Instagram at @chenee_today and tag #cheneetoday!

Last Updated on October 1, 2024 by Chenée Lewis