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–+ servings

Hummingbird Carrot Cake

Karissa Parrish
This hummingbird carrot cake is a super moist spice cake that's filled with crushed pineapple, shredded carrots, and coconut flakes. It's then topped with a spiced cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut!
5 from 6 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Decorating 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices

Equipment

  • Three 6-Inch Cake Pans
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Electric Stand Mixer
  • Cake Decorating Tools

Ingredients:
 
 

Hummingbird Carrot Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup oil (vegetable or canola)
  • 3 tablespoons yogurt (plain or vanilla), room temperature
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup crushed pineapple (see note below)
  • 1 cup freshly grated carrots
  • ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 12 ounces brick-style cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Instructions:
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper then nonstick spray. Set aside.

Hummingbird Carrot Cake

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice, and nutmeg.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, sugar, oil, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Pour in the dry ingredients and whisk until everything is incorporated. Then fold in the crushed pineapple, freshly grated carrots, and shredded coconut using a rubber spatula.
  • Divide the batter amongst the three prepared cake pans and bake for 23-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes come out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 25 minutes before removing and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachent, cream together the cream cheese and butter on med-high speed until light and creamy (2-3 minutes). Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg and mix on low speed until combined. Then beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy.
  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and place a ½ cup of shredded coconut on a baking sheet. Bake for 3-5 minutes until toasted (be careful not to let it burn!). Set aside to cool.

Assemble

  • If needed, use a serrated knife to level off the tops of each cake layer to create a flat surface. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and spread about ⅔ cup of frosting. Repeat with the second layer. Top the cake with the last layer and spread on about ¼ cup of frosting.
  • Frost and smooth the outside of the cake with a thin crumb coat. Place the entire cake in the refrigerator or freezer for 10 minutes to chill.
  • Remove the cake from the refrigerator and finish frosting. Cover the sides and top of the cake again until frosted to your desire (use a cake scraper for a smooth finish). Place the cake in the freezer for 10 more minutes.
  • I decorated the top by using the Wilton 6B to pipe a border and then added the toasted coconut to the bottom half of the cake.
  • Keep any leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes:

Cake Pans: This recipe calls for three 6-inch cake pans. Line each pan with parchment paper and non-stick spray.
Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
Carrots: Make sure to freshly grate your carrots. Do not use the pre-shredded carrots from the store.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Any ingredient that needs to be at room temperature should be taken out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you want to bake. Do not skip this step! It's super important so that the ingredients can incorporate properly.
Dividing the Batter: To make sure I evenly divide up the batter amongst the cake pans I use a ½ measuring cup to scoop the batter into each pan. I count as I go and then switch to a tablespoon as I get less and less batter.
Crushed Pineapple: Do not drain the juice from the pineapple. When you measure it out, include the juice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 635kcalCarbohydrates: 92gProtein: 7gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 429mgPotassium: 197mgFiber: 2gSugar: 73gVitamin A: 2275IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 159mgIron: 1mg
Keyword carrot cake, cream cheese frosting, easter cake, hummingbird cake, hummingbird carrot cake
US Customary - Metric
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