Give the Easter bunny just what he's wishing for! These Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes are light, fluffy, and make the perfect springtime treat!
For us, carrot cake will always be synonymous with spring and the Easter season. From the classic cake to oats and crescent rolls, there's no wrong way to spread that carrot cake love. Today we're sharing a tasty twist on the popular combo with these Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes. Fun, fruity, and the perfect size for springtime gatherings, we're sure you'll love these little cakes!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
The ultimate, upgraded Easter treat!
A twist on a classic carrot cake, we upped the fruits and veggies and decreased added sugar without compromising flavor or satisfaction. Whether you're enjoying with family, brunching with friends, or sharing with the "Easter bunny", we're sure everyone will love them.
A pinch a make.
Simply mix, pour, and bake! These mini cakes are simple enough for little hands and beginner bakers to make and use a handful of everyday items. They freeze well and are perfect for parties and entertaining.
Bursting with fruity flavor!
Juicy pineapple, tropical coconut, and natural sweetness from carrots lend a tasty trio to these mini cakes. You can enjoy them plain or dress them up with frosting, chopped nuts, extra carrots, and candied ginger.
What You'll Need
Flour
We've made these cakes with both wheat and gluten free 1:1 baking flour. Gluten free cakes come out with a slightly softer texture, but you'll hear no complaints from us!
Carrots
You can't have carrot cake without carrots! Carrots bring color, moisture, and a touch of sweetness to the mix.
Pineapple
Pineapple adds the perfect sweetness and fruity flavor to these cakes. Using canned pineapple helps add a touch more moisture to the mix.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil adds moisture to our cakes as well as a delicious, tropical flavor, which pairs perfectly with the natural flavor of our carrots and pineapple.
Eggs
Eggs are important for binding our mixture and giving the cakes structure.
Baking Soda & Powder
Baking soda and baking powder help give lift and that golden touch to our cakes.
Brown Sugar
We add just a touch of brown sugar for sweetness, moisture, and color to round out our cakes. You can replace with your favorite dry alternative. For a sweeter, more traditional cake, you can increase up to a ½ cup.
Salt, Ginger, and Cinnamon
Salt and a touch of spice help round out the flavor of these cakes without being overpowering.
How To Make These Bundt Cakes
Step 1
To start, we prepare our dry ingredient mixture.
Step 2
Next, we shred the carrots. We recommend finely grating or thinly shredding your carrots from fresh, which retains more moisture than store bought.
Step 3
Next, we combine our carrots with the rest of our wet ingredients.
Step 4
Now, we combine our wet and dry ingredients together.
It's important not to over mix your batter - especially when working with wheat flour - as this can create a tough batter and heavy, dense final cake.
Step 5
It's time to add the batter to the bundt molds. You can use individual molds or a tray, like this convenient silicone option. Greasing molds ahead of time helps prevent sticking.
Step 6
Off to the oven they go!
Cakes are done when golden and toothpick clean. The only question left to answer is: straight up or with frosting?
Frequently Asked Questions
Fear not! Canned rings and diced pieces will also work. We recommend roughly chopping or placing into a food processor for a quick whirl to break pieces apart. Fresh pineapple also works, but doesn't provide the same moisture as canned. We recommend adding 1 tablespoon pineapple juice or preferred milk with ¾ cup finely diced pieces.
Absolutely! If a coconutty flavor is not your favorite, swap out for avocado, walnut, or another neutral tasting oil.
Yes! In fact we typically make these GF at home. The texture tends to be a little lighter and more crumbly than a wheat flour but we're not complaining! There are a number of great gluten free 1:1 mixes available so use your favorite. We've had great success with Trader Joe's and Bob's Red Mill mixes.
Not to worry! This recipe yields 12 muffins in a standard tray. During our home tests baking time was the same, but check your muffins around the 18-20 minute mark just to be safe!
Yes and yes ? We love these little cakes plain and with vanilla frosting. When we're feeling really fancy we'll throw on some chopped walnuts. There truly is no wrong way to love them.
Carrot-Pineapple Mini Bundt Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour* can sub with GF 1:1 baking mix
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup finely grated carrots approx. 2 large carrots
- 1 cup crushed pineapple in 100% juice partially drained
- 2 eggs room temp
- ⅔ cup coconut oil can sub with avocado oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- favorite vanilla frosting, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, and cinnamon. Stir well to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine carrots, crushed pineapple, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well mixed.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until just combined (careful not to over mix).
- Spoon mixture evenly into lightly greased mini bundt molds. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until lightly golden and passing the toothpick test.
- Let cool for 10 minutes prior to removing from molds. If desired, glaze with your favorite vanilla frosting.