Carrot Pineapple Cake Recipe

If you google Carrot Cake you will find that carrots have been used in desserts for centuries. Growing up I wasn’t aware that carrots are used in desserts and up till today I don’t know of any Arabic desserts that use carrots. The first time I had Carrot Cake I was in my twenties.

As a kid, vegetables weren’t on my “favorites' list”, and vegetable cakes didn’t pose any kind of temptation, so if at the time anyone had asked me “do you want a piece of Carrot cake?” my definite answer will be “duh, no!”

The first time I ate Carrot Cake was by chance in a friends house. I couldn’t believe that it was a cake based on a “vegetable”! It was that coincidence that got me on the road to trying out desserts other than ones based on chocolate, candy, cheeses and ice-creams. no I can proudly say that I now make several vegetable-based cakes and a few of those I love, including Carrot Cake and Zucchini Cake,  

The carrot-pineapple cake is an enhanced version of the average carrot cake. The mixture of carrots and pineapples enhances the flavors of both and produces a juicier carrot cake.  Also, the addition of pineapples makes it possible to reduce the amount of oil in the batter, making it a healthier version.

You can eat the carrot-pineapple cake plain or with cream cheese frosting. At home, we prefer it with cream cheese.  If you plan to serve the carrot-pineapple cake plain, add an additional 1/4 cup of sugar to the batter. I reduce the sugar as I always serve it with frosting and we don’t like it when the cake turns way too sweet.

Carrot-pineapple Cake Recipe:

Preparation time: 20 min               Cook time: 55 min

Ingredients:

2             cups plus 3 tablespoons flour
1½          cup sugar
1½          teaspoon soda
3             teaspoons baking powder
1             teaspoon salt
3             teaspoons vanilla
2½          teaspoons cinnamon
1½          teaspoon nutmeg
3             large eggs
1/3          cup oil   (sunflower, canola or corn)
1             can (350g drained weight) pineapples
2             cups grated carrots
3/4          cup coarsely chopped walnuts

How to make Carrot-pineapple Cake:

• Drain the pineapple can from the syrup (I keep the syrup and use it instead of water to prepare jello). Don’t drain the pineapple syrup to the point the pineapple chunks are dry, you want to leave the chunks wet with juice. With a knife or in the food processor, chop the pineapples into very small pieces. 
• Grate the carrots and chop the walnuts.
• If you are baking in the oven, switch it on at 350°. If you are baking on the oven-top put the ring on the flame.
• In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, salt, soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Beat the eggs well. Add the sugar and the oil and beat at high speed until creamy. Beat in the vanilla.
• Add the dry ingredients gradually to the egg mixture while beating at high speed.
• Fold in the pineapple mixture, then the carrots and lastly the walnuts.
• Spread the cake batter, which is somewhat thick, onto a greased and floured pan. Use a 24-25cm round pan (9.5-10 inch pan) or the larger size bundt cake pan. Check my post on Tips for removing cake from pan in one piece. 



• Bake the carrot-pineapple cake at 350° for approximately 45-55 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  You can also bake it on the oven top; check my tip baking on the oven top to see how to do that.
• Frost the carrot-pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting.
• For a fancier cake, cut the cake from the middle, spread cream cheese frosting. Place the upper cake layer on the frosting, and frost the outside of the cake.

Hope you enjoyed today’s easy sweet recipe: Carrot-pineapple Cake.  Bon appetite.
Do you have any cake versions that you didn’t eat and enjoy as a kid but love as an adult?

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