Pineapple Carrot Cake

There are a few random recipes I want to keep, like Ranger Cookies. The paper they are written on, in this case an old clipping from a magazine, can be lost much too easily. I just made this cake again and decided it deserved to be preserved someplace beyond my forlorn recipe box. A break from the usual bumbling in this blog might actually be a good thing.

Pineapple Carrot Cake

Cake:

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegatable oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 medium size carrots, peeled and shredded (about 2 cups)
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple with juice
1/2 cup baking raisins (not included in original recipe so it's obviously optional, but who eats carrot cake without raisins?)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 lb cream cheese, at room temp
1/2 cp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two round cakepans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottoms with waxed paper; coat paper with spray. Don't ask me why this is in the recipe. I've never heard of it being done this way, however, I followed the recipe and it worked quite well.

2. Cake:
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In a large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until blended. On low, gradually beat in flour mixture until smooth. Stir in carrots, pineapple with juice, raisins and nuts. Divide batter between prepared pans, 3 1/2 cups each; spread evenly.

3. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until the spring test works. Cool cakes on wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn them out of pans while also remembering to remove the waxed paper. Cool completely.

4. Frosting:
In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and creamy, 2 minutes. On low speed, gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Beat until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.(you will have about 5 cups of frosting)

5. With that huge bowl of frosting you really do want to make this a 4 layer cake, so cut each cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Begin with first layer cut side up. Frost and layer, using about 1/2 cup frosting between layers. posted by Cyndy | link | | |
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