Along with banana cake, carrot cake is a popular treat to bring to any party or gatherings. My cousin shared this carrot cake recipe on facebook. When I saw crushed pineapples and pecans in the list of ingredients, I knew it would be good and decided to make it. I wasn’t disappointed; the cake was moist and very delicious. The addition of crushed pineapple and chopped pecans gives this cake a nice taste and texture. No wonder it is Canadian Living’s most popular recipe ever. My whole family love it, including my health conscious husband, who ate it plain, without the frosting.
Sheet pan cakes are easy to bake, transport and serve. This recipe contains pineapple; I added raisins. You can grate the carrots on a box grater but, for this quantity, it’s worth using a food processor if you have the grating attachment. It is simple to make and the cake is moist and delicious.
The German Carrot Cake is one of my favourite cakes ever. It’s heavy on the ground nuts and carrots and comes with a simple chocolate or lemon glaze instead of cream cheese Icing.
This year I wanted it to be different. I wanted to the Canadian -style Carrot Cake. When in Rome and so on…North Americans in general and Canadians in particular like their carrot cake slightly autumn spiced and studded with pineapple chunks, raisins, pecans and even coconut flakes. So this year I tried to give this version a shot and went to try out the Carrot Cake recipe described as Canada’s Best Carrot Cake by a well known magazine.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour 500 mL
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon 10 mL
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt 4 mL
1 tsp nutmeg 2 mL
3/4 cup granulated sugar 175 mL
3/4 cup packed brown sugar 175 mL
3 eggs
200 ml vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla 5 mL
2 cups grated carrots packed
1 can crushed canned pineapple save the juice
1/2 cup chopped pecans 125 mL
1 cup golden raisins soaked in juice or rum *
For soaking
Pineapple juice from the can mixed with 50 ml of Rum about 150 ml
Mascarpone whipped cream
4 ounces mascarpone cheese I use Belgioioso
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
Grease and flour 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) metal cake pan; set aside.
In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. In separate bowl, beat together granulated and brown sugars, eggs, oil and vanilla until smooth; pour over flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Stir in raisins with their soaking liquid, carrots, pineapple (save some of the juice) and pecans. Spread in prepared pan.Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven for 40 minutes or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Brush your pineapple juice / rum mixture on top of the still hot cake and let cool.
For the Frosting
Chill a large mixing bowl in the fridge.
In your chilled bowl, combine mascarpone cheese and sugar on a high speed until completely combined.
Add vanilla and heavy cream, and mix on a low setting until it is mostly combined. Now increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form – it may take a little while, so be patient!
Once the carrot cake has cooled, spread the cake with the frosting and grate some more lemon zest on top.
Recipe Notes
in a little bowl cover the raisins in with rum juice and microwave shortly. That way the raisins soak up the liquid waz quicker!
the cake should be made a day in advance as it gets moister and better when given time to rest. Cover your pan in foil and let it rest in the fridge.
