- Course: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Servings: 15
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar , firmly packed
- 1 cup oil ,vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 4 large eggs , room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple*
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 1/2 cups carrots , finely grated (about 1 lb.)
- 1 cup chopped pecans , optional
- 1 cup golden raisins , optional
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 16 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 3/4 cup butter (1 stick), softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans* by lightly coating with cooking spray and lining with parchment paper on the bottom.
- Beat the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and pineapple together in a large bowl.
- In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.
- Fold in the carrots, pecans and raisins just until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake on the center oven rack until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Allow cakes to cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cream cheese frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until the frosting reaches consistency you want. You may not need to add all of the sugar.
Assemble:
Place the bottom layer on a cardboard round on serving plate. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the cream cheese frosting onto the bottom cake layer. Spread the frosting thinly and evenly over the surface and out to the edge of the cake. repeat with remaining cake layers.
Spread frosting around the sides of the cake, adding more as needed, until it's covered. Use the palm of your hand to cup chopped pecans around the edge of the cake, if desired. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Crushed Pineapple: This ingredient adds a lot of moistness and sweet flavor to the cake. Applesauce would be a good substitute.
- One layer cake: Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and add batter, but don’t overfill the pan (you could use leftover batter to make a few cupcakes). Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Two Layer Cake: Pour batter into two lined and greased 9” round cake pans and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cupcakes: Line muffin pans with cupcake lines and fill 3/4 full with batter. Bake cupcakes for about 18-25 minutes. Makes about 30 cupcakes cupcakes.
- Nuts and Raisins: These are optional, so add what you like, or add walnuts or coconut. I prefer raisins in the cake and nuts only on the outside.
- Freezing Instructions: After the cakes bake, allow them to cool completely, then wrap each layer in plastic wrap and place a ziplock freezer bag. Freeze for up to three months. Frosting can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Remove the frosting from the fridge 1-2 hours before frosting the cake, to allow it to come to room temperature.