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Carrot Cake


Today I'd like to take you back to a carrot cake I posted here years ago and still always turns out to be a favorite. It can be made ahead and frozen, but it also keeps well in the fridge for several days. It can be a special occasion cake, plainly iced or decorated with pineapple flowers or nuts. It also serves well for taking to someone who needs some TLC. If doing so, bake it in a disposable pan that comes with a lid. (if using foil pan use lower rack in oven)

Ingredients:
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup oil
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cup coconut
  • 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained and 1/4 cup of the juice
  • 2 cups carrots, finely grated (3-4 carrots)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
  2. Prepare 9 x 9 pan or 8 - 9 inch springform pan by greasing well and dusting with flour, tapping out any excess. If you plan to invert and decorate the whole cake (sides and top) and you don’t have a spring form pan, grease and line bottom of pan with parchment paper. 
  3. Beat eggs, oil and sugar well. 
  4. Add combined dry ingredients, then coconut, pineapple and carrots. 
  5. Spread into prepared pan.
  6. Bake 70 minutes.  Test with toothpick. Serves 9 large pieces or 12 - 16 fair sized

Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 1/4 cup butter, room temp
  • 4 oz cream cheese, room temp
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 - 1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar (icing sugar)
  • Beat butter and cream cheese, gradually adding icing sugar until desired consistency for spreading. To use in a decorating tube for piping, you may need a little extra icing sugar.

Tips and Decorating options:

1) Cool completely in pan and spread icing on cake. Dab, using the back of a spoon to lift waves or just sprinkle with nuts or toasted coconut.

2) Cool 10 min. Invert onto cooling rack, remove paper. Cool completely to decorate sides and top of cake.  Double the icing amount.

3) You can use a 9x13 pan for this recipe as is, baking time will be less as it will not be as high. If you need a larger cake, use 1 ½ times the recipe, for a 9x13 pan. (4 large eggs, 1 cup oil, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 2 tsp BP, 1 tsp soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2 cups coconut, 3 cups carrots, 1 can crushed pineapple with the juice.) For frosting just the top, icing recipe is still fine. Bake time at least 70 min. Turn oven temp down to 325 F if using a glass pyrex pan.

3) For making dried pineapple flowers check here


6 comments:

  1. Looks delicious! What size can of pineapple do you use for the 9x13 cake?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 14 fl oz / 398 ml
      You can also bake the smaller recipe in a 9 x13, but it would not be as high.

      Delete
  2. Oh yum - I love carrot cake and especially when there is pineapple in it as well! The dried pineapple flower is so pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm so excited to try the pineapple flowers! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks delicious! What would the baking time be for cupcakes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Depending on the size of cupcakes, my guess is 20 min and then the toothpick check, of course.

      Delete

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