Description
Ina Garten’s carrot and pineapple cake blends tropical sweetness with classic comfort. Cream cheese frosting crowns this delightful dessert, inviting you to savor each moist, flavorful slice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 450g (1 pound) carrots, grated
- 150g (5.3 oz) raisins
- 150g (5.3 oz) walnuts, chopped
- 400g (14.1 oz) granulated sugar
- 320g (11.3 oz) plain flour
- 1 tbsp plain flour (for coating)
- 320 ml (10.8 fl oz) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 340g (12 oz) cream cheese, full-fat, room temperature
- 225g (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 450g (15.9 oz) icing sugar, sifted
- 150g (5.3 oz) pineapple, fresh, diced
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease two 20-centimeter cake pans and line with parchment paper.
- Create Wet Mixture: Whisk sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs using electric mixer until light and airy. Blend in vanilla extract thoroughly.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, cinnamon, sodium bicarbonate, and salt in a separate bowl, ensuring no lumps remain.
- Merge Mixtures: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until batter appears uniform. Coat raisins, walnuts, carrots, and pineapple with flour to prevent sinking.
- Bake Cake: Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 55-60 minutes, verifying doneness by inserting a clean skewer that comes out clear.
- Cool and Rest: Allow cakes to cool completely in pans on a wire rack, preventing structural damage.
- Craft Frosting: Blend room temperature cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until light and fluffy.
- Assemble and Decorate: Position first cake layer on serving plate, spread frosting. Add second layer, frost entire cake completely. Garnish with pineapple pieces.
Notes
- Prevent Ingredient Sinking: Coat raisins and walnuts with flour to stop them from dropping to the bottom of the cake during baking.
- Bake with Precision: Use a skewer test to ensure complete cake doneness; it should come out clean without raw batter residue.
- Cooling Critical: Let cakes cool entirely in pans on a wire rack to maintain structural integrity and prevent crumbling.
- Frosting Finesse: Ensure cream cheese and butter are at room temperature for smooth, lump-free frosting that spreads easily.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 40g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 70mg