Carrot & pineapple cake
Ingredients (serves 8)
Method
- 2 cups (300g) plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs
- 200ml safflower or sunflower oil
- 2 cups grated carrot
- 400g crushed canned pineapple, drained
- 1 1/2 cups golden caster sugar*
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Icing:
- 250g unsalted butter, softened
- 250g cream cheese, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 cups (750g) icing sugar, sifted
- Dried pineapple slices, to garnish*
Method
- Preheat the oven (not fan-forced) to 170°C. Grease a 23cm springform cake pan and line the base.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Add the eggs, oil, carrot, pineapple and sugar. Stir to combine, then add walnuts. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, place the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and soft. Add the sifted icing sugar and beat until you have a smooth, light icing. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the icing.
- Place the pineapple slices in a microwave on high for 15 seconds, then remove. While still warm, gently bend slices into a flower shape. When they are cool, decorate the cake.
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