Carrot Pineapple Cake
2 C flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 C sugar
1 ½ C vegetable oil
3 C raw grated carrots (~7 medium carrots)
8 oz can crushed pineapple (undrained)
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 eggs beaten
1 C chopped walnuts or pecans (dry roast in skillet or oven to enhance flavor)
Icing:
½ C (1 stick) butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz cream cheese or mascarpone, at room temperature
1 ½ C powdered sugar (or ¼ C honey)
1 C ground walnuts or pecans for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil and flour a 9×13” pan. (Could use 9-½ inch tube pan).
In a bowl, sift and mix the dry ingredients—flour, baking soda cinnamon and salt.
In a large bowl beat the sugar, oil and eggs so they are blended well.
Then add shredded carrots, pineapple with its juices and walnuts.
Beat in the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 60-70 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
If using 9×13 pan, you can leave the cake in the pan and ice it when it’s cool. If you want to take the cake out of the pan, wait until it’s cool, then invert it onto a large platter. Invert it again onto another platter and cool completely.
Icing: With an electric mixer, cream together butter, vanilla and cream cheese (or mascarpone) until well blended. Slowly add powdered sugar or honey and beat until smooth.
Variations: add orange juice and/or coconut.