This carrot cake is the most mouthwatering one around. I believe it is the addition of pineapple, nuts and cinnamon that make it so hard to resist. Easy to make and my semi-sweet cream cheese icing recipe is the perfect topper.
With Easter just around the corner, I can't help but recommend a solid carrot cake recipe in your repertoire. Of course in my family, this carrot cake is the cake of all occasions. It is my preferred birthday cake, company is coming, and there's a few carrots in the fridge...we should make a cake occasion. It is by far the most requested cake my mom is asked to bring when she is invited to friends' homes for dinner.
It is a very easy cake to make. It comes together easily by hand in a couple of bowls. Simply whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. It uses a good amount of cinnamon. We keep it pretty basic here with just the one spice. Some people prefer to add nutmeg and ginger and cloves etc, but we like straight up cinnamon. My Hummingbird Cake has a variety of spices if you want to give that one a try.
Mix up the eggs, sugar and oil in the other bowl and add them to the dry mix. Then there's the pineapple. Please note the pineapple is a full tin of CRUSHED pineapple. The pineapple tidbits or rings will have hard husk pieces that will wreck your cake! I have tried it - and no - you do not want to pick little bits out of your teeth and have them on your plate afterward. Save yourself the trouble and buy the crushed pineapple...and drain it well. And add the grated carrots and nuts or raisins.
I love pecans. I enjoy raisins or walnuts as alternatives, but for the inside of the cake, I love chopped pecans. I toast them first for a few minutes nice and fresh and give them a good chop.
Divide the batter between the 2 pans or make a sheet cake. I like to bake this cake in 2 round pans and then divide the layers to make 4 layers. Then I make a 3 layer cake and (ahem...eat the 4th layer in a side bowl slathered in extra icing). Look...sometimes you have to give the whole cake away as a gift and you're not getting to eat it yourself! This is called a Win-Win situation and no one is the wiser. You can always share it with any witnesses- like your husband:)
Walnuts I like to chop up and decorate the outside along with the Cream Cheese Icing. It adds a nice crunch and makes it super pretty without a lot of fuss. And nice thick layers of icing that's not too sweet...so killer good!!
Make this carrot cake recipe! You will not be sorry! Please let me know if you give it a try in the comment below.
Delicious Carrot Cake
Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, OR raisins
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
4 eggs
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup drained crushed pineapple
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease, flour and line 2 x 8-inch rounds or one 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
Stir sugar, eggs and oil together in another bowl.
Combine wet into dry ingredients. Stir until combined. No mixer required.
Add in chopped nuts or raisins, pineapple* and carrots.**
Pour into prepared pans and bake for 40 minutes to an hour in middle of oven. Start to check cakes after 40 minutes. Oven times vary. Cake is ready when toothpick is clean with a few crumbs.
Cool on racks for 10 minutes. Turn out cakes and allow to cool. Fill and frost with my semi-sweet cream cheese icing.
Tips:
*One 398 ml can of crushed pineapple is equal to 1 cup. Drain well. Don't feel tempted to use pineapple rings or tidbits and simply blend them yourself. The consistency will leave you picking hard husk pieces out of the cake. Not ideal.
**2 cups of grated carrots is made from about 3 large or 4 regular sized carrots usually.