Pineapple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
By Audrey Plant
Recipe makes 1, 8-inch round cake
Ingredients
Cake
1 cup sugar
⅔ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ kosher salt
⅓ cup golden raisins
½ cup raw walnuts, chopped
1 cup carrots, shredded
⅓ cup pineapple, diced
Frosting
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup walnuts, chopped for garnish
Instructions
Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, sugar, eggs, and vegetable oil together until it is a light yellow. Add vanilla extract until combined.
In a separate large mixing bowl, sift together 1 ¼ cup flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Using a whisk, mix all of the dry ingredients together.
Using the largest holes on a box grater, grate carrots. Roughly chop the grated carrots to make sure there are no large pieces. In a small bowl, toss raisins and walnuts with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour until it is lightly coated with flour.
Using a spatula, fold the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Then fold in raisins, walnuts, carrots, and pineapple until just combined.
Pour into a buttered, lined 8-inch round cake pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool for 45 minutes.
Frosting
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and cream cheese. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Slowly add powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.
Frosting should be thick and creamy. Run a butter knife around the edges of the cake to release it from the pan. Transfer the cake to a dinner plate.
Using an off-set spatula or large spoon, spread frost across the top of the cake. Sprinkle walnuts around the edges of the frosting.
