caterpillar cake (carrot-coconut-banana-pineapple cake)
A rich, tropical twist on the beloved Southern Hummingbird Cake, the Caterpillar Cake is packed with finely shredded carrots, well-drained crushed pineapple, banana, and coconut for extra depth. Topped with a scattering of pecans and adorned with stunning oven-roasted pineapple flowers and fresh mint leaves, it’s a showstopper perfect for any occasion.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 568kcal
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
- 2 9-inch round cake pans
- parchment paper
- wire cooling rack
- baking sheet for pineapple flowers
- sharp knife for slicing pineapple
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups and spoons
- whisk
- spatula
- cake knife or offset spatula for frosting
Ingredients
for the cake
dry ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ½ tsp. allspice
- ¾ tsp. salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
wet ingredients
- ½ cup mashed banana
- ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup melted butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 3.4 oz. instant pudding mix (1 small box) coconut cream, cheesecake, or vanilla flavors work best
- 8 oz. crushed pineapple, very well-drained 1 small can
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
mix-ins
- ¾ cups finely shredded carrots
- ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
for the frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup softened butter
- ¼ cup sour cream as needed, for consistency
- 3.4 oz. instant pudding mix coconut cream or cheesecake flavor work best
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2-3 tbsp. milk or heavy cream (only as needed)
for the pineapple flowers
- 1 small pineapple, peeled and cored
- mint leaves optional; as many as you like
- ¾ cup chopped toasted pecans or sunflower seeds
Instructions
roast the pineapple flowers
- Preheat the oven to 225°F (107°C).
- Thinly slice the pineapple and pat dry with paper towels.
- Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, flipping halfway through, until the edges curl and brown slightly.
- Let cool completely to set their shape.
prep the pans + oven
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans (or 9 x 13-inch pan for a single layer cake). Alternatively, coat with a generous amount of Cake Goop.
- You can (optionally) line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper (though you won't need to do so if you use Cake Goop!)
dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
wet ingredients
- In another bowl, whisk together mashed banana, sour cream or yogurt, melted butter, eggs and egg yolk, vanilla extract, and honey until smooth and well-combined.
make the batter
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix; stop once you no longer see streaks of flour.
- Gently stir in the pudding mix until fully incorporated, then fold in the pineapple (make sure it's patted dry), finely shredded carrots, and coconut flakes. Stir until evenly distributed.
adjust consistency as needed
- If the batter looks too thick, add 1-2 tbsp. of milk. If too thin, add 2-3 tbsp. of flour.
divide and bake the cake
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes for round cakes (40-45 minutes fo 9x13-inch cake) until it reaches an internal temperature of 200°F (93°C) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
cool the cakes
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Refrigerating the cake for an hour or more, or even freezing briefly, can make it easier to frost smoothly, but is entirely optional.
make the frosting
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Beat in the sour cream or yogurt, vanilla extract, and salt until fully incorporated.
- Sprinkle the instant pudding mix and beat on low until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time on slow speed (to prevent a sugar snowstorm!) then increase to medium-high speed when all is combined and beat for about 2 minutes or until fluffy.
- Adjust the consistency if needed; if too thick, add 1 tbsp. of milk or cream at a time until you reach the desired smoothness. If it's too soft, add an extra 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
- Chill if necessary; if your kitchen is warm or the frosting feels too soft to work with, a quick 15-20 minute chill in the fridge will help firm things up.
assemble + decorate
- Frost the first cake layer, then place the second layer on top and frost the entire cake.
- Press pecan pieces into the sides of the cake. Reserve a few to sprinkle over the top.
- Arrange pineapple flowers on top, adding mint leaves and scattering pecans for a final flourish.
- Serve and watch it disappear!
Notes
Prep time does not include 2 hours for pineapple flowers to dry.
Nutrition Info*
- Calories: 586 kcal
- Protein: 4.4g
- Total Fat: 37.6g
- Saturated Fat: 18.4g
- Trans Fat: 0.8
- Cholesterol: 119mg
- Sodium: 390mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 61g
- Sugars: 127
- Dietary Fiber: 24.7g