Some days are meant for rich, moist cakes with cream cheese frosting. This carrot cake had to be hidden in our bodega lest it be devoured by overly anxious family members with intense sweet tooths. It is sweet, which is why I use a little less sugar than the original recipe calls for, and it is meant for those who can handle desserts, people like myself who have never turned their back on a sweet sweet challenge.
For those of you with a discerning eye you may notice that there is the slightest indentation on the right side of the cake. My dad poked the cake with his finger while transferring it to the dinner table. He did a pretty good job of covering it up, but I caught him!
I love this carrot cake not only because it is moist and soft but also because it has coconut and pineapple. Cream cheese frosting is the kind of frosting I could lick from the spoon with only the twinge of guilt to stop me from going back for more.
Carrot Cake
Adapted from Magnolia Bakery
Ingredients
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I added almost 2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil (preferably canola)
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups lightly packed shredded carrots
One 8-ounce can crushed pineapple in its own juice, with juice
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Icing
1 pound (two 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softend and cut into small pieces.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
Garnish
Shredded coconut
Cake
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease and lightly flour two 9×2-inch round cake pans (or three if you want a three layer cake with slightly thinner layered), then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until light and thick, about two minutes. Add the vanilla and beat well.
Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating until well incorporated. Stir in the carrots, pineapple and juice, pecans and coconut. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour (I left them cool for about 10 minutes, and they popped right out). Remove from the pans and cool completely on wire racks. When the cake has cooled, ice between the layers, then ice the top and sides of the cake with the cream cheese icing. Garnish with coconut or toasted pecans as desired.
Icing
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat well. Gradually add the sugar, one cup at a time, beating continuously until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate icing for 2 to 3 hours, but no longer, to thicken before using.
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