carrot cake

Carrot cake has long been my favorite of all the cakes. My grandmother would bake it on the regular, and it would never last more than a day or two. I made it regularly in sheet pan form in college to snack on during late night study sessions. Jamie and I both love it so much, we made it the top tier of our wedding cake, and gleefully enjoyed eating it ALL on our first anniversary. I’ve consistently made it for the kiddos as I felt somewhat better serving them a cake full of fruits and vegetables, than any other kind. Avy in particular, is a big fan. So much so, that it’s all she requested for her quarantine birthday.

Cake:

Ingredients:

2 cups organic cane sugar

2 cups cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

4 eggs, whisked

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup raisins

1 8oz can crushed & drained pineapple (or 1 cup fresh pineapple, pounded or smashed with the side of a knife), reserving 1 Tbsp of the juice for frosting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan, or two 9 inch round cake pans.

To a large bowl add sugar, flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk until combined.

Create a well in the middle and add the eggs and oil. Using a spatula, and being careful not to over mix, combine wet and dry ingredients until fully incorporated.

Add carrots, raisins and pineapple, giving a couple of generous stirs to spread throughout the batter.

Pour into pan(s).

Cook for approximately 40 minutes, using a toothpick in the middle to test for doneness around 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on wire rack, before removing from pan(s).

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

6oz cream cheese, softened

1 lb of powdered sugar

1 tbsp pineapple juice

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Using a hand or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, cream butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. When combined ad in pineapple juice and vanilla.

Frost cake with frosting and enjoy.