Classic Carrot Cake with Pineapple (small batch)

 

One of my all time favorite cakes has to be carrot cake.  It is always moist and delicious, nicely spiced and such a pleasure to eat.  My mother loved carrot cake also as does my sister. We all adore it.

Making a full carrot cake is not a viable option for me anymore.  Not as a person living alone. by themselves. It just not something I would make just for myself.  Until now!

 

I present the small batch Classic Carrot Cake (with Pineapple) recipe.  This recipe makes one single layer carrot cake, and is every bit as delicious as the full sized cake.

Not only that but it has the tastiest lush white chocolate cream cheese frosting.  Dreamy, creamy, white and delicious!

The cake is moist and spicy, with the just the most perfect texture and amount of sweetness. That frosting, creamy and rich.  The two together . . .  can you say AMAZING???  

The two of these together are phenomenal.  

 

The cake recipe is one that I adapted from "Baking Day" with Anna Olson.  Anna is a top Canadian Chef and baker. I trust her recipes implicitly.

The frosting is a recipe I adapted from "Rose's Heavenly Cakes" by Rose Levy Beranbaum. She had paired it with the carrot cake in her book. Having written 13 successful cookbooks, her recipes are something I also trust! 

 

I could have made the carrot cake from her book to go with it, but it did not have crushed pineapple in it and I do so love crushed pineapple in a carrot cake, don't you???

Carrots and pineapple go together like peas and carrots.  They are just perfect flavor and texture partners!  Especially in cakes and muffins!

 

The frosting with this cake are also a beautiful pairing.  This is a cake for a special occasion and what occasion is more special than a few moments along with a hot cuppa?  I don't think too many.

My viewpoint is I am deserving of enjoying the things I love as much as the next person is. Just because I live on my own I will not be denied! I am worth special things also, and I should not have to wait until I have company to enjoy them!! 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CLASSIC CAKE WITH PINEAPPLE

Its a pretty straightforward list!  Simple and uncomplicated.

For the cake:

• 3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup (150g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups (200g) grated carrots
• 1 2/3 cups (250g) plain all purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tin (14 oz/398ml) tin of crushed pineapple, well drained

 

To make the white chocolate cream cheese frosting:

• 4 1/2 ounces (130g) white chocolate containing cocoa butter, chopped
• 6 ounces (170g) full fat cream cheese
• 3 TBS (42g) butter
• 3/4 TBS (10.5 g) creme fraiche or sour cream

 

I love the additional flavor of the Maple syrup in this cake. It just screams occasion to me, and adds a lovely depth of flavor.  Don't use pancake syrup, the maple flavored syrup. This is when only the real thing will do.

Do peel your carrots before grating. I am always amazed when I see some of these younger women not peeling their carrots. I have always found that the skin discolors when cooked.  Maybe that is just me.

If you are using the cup measures, make sure you pack your brown sugar into the measuring cup firmly. It should still hold the shape of the cup when you dump it out into the bowl.

 

Make sure you drain your crushed pineapple (pineapple crush in the U.K.) really well. I put mine in a sieve to drain and then press all the liquid out with the back of a spoon. 

If you want you can also add raisins and walnuts to this.  1/4 cup (40g) of raisins and 1/4 (35g) cups of chopped toasted nuts will be just about right. 

Make sure your white chocolate has a high cocoa butter content such as Green & Blacks (with the vanilla seeds) or Valrhona.  If you wish you can eliminate the chocolate altogether and replace it with 1/2 cup (65g) of icing sugar and 1/8 tsp of vanilla extract.

HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC CARROT CAKE WITH PINEAPPLE

This is really quite a simple cake to make. Using the food processor for the frosting also speeds things up.

Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3. Butter an 8-inch round baking tin well and then line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Whisk the oil, brown sugar and maple syrup together by hand until well combined. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, soda and salt together. Add all at once to the egg mixture, stirring together until smooth. Stir in the carrots and the crushed pineapple.  Pour into the prepared baking pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 75 - 90 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the pan on a wire rack for half an hour and then tip out onto the rack to cool completely. Do not frost until completely cold.

 

To make the frosting heat the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water until almost completely melted. Do NOT let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Leave to cool until it is no longer warm to the touch but still fluid.

Process the cream cheese, butter and creme fraiche/sour cream in a food processor until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides. Add the cooled, melted chocolate and pulse a few times until thoroughly incorporated.

Use the frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. Keep the cake chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Bring to room temperature and cut into wedges to serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

 

This really is a delicious cake. Dense and moist with just the right amount of spice. I kept it old school today and left out the raisins and nuts, but sometimes if I am feeling a bit more indulgent I will add both. I do understand that they are not everyone's cup of tea.

If you are wanting to bake yourself something special this week a classic carrot cake makes a really lovely treat!  Plus you are getting in some extra vegetables, and that can't be bad!  Carrots help you to see better in the dark, don't you know!

I have baked a few different versions of Carrot Cake here in The English Kitchen through the years, here are just a few of them, all delicious as well.

CARROT CAKE ROLL - Fat free carrot cake, loaded with chopped raisins and nuts, spread with a cream cheese filling and then rolled up like  a jelly roll.  I like to dust it with icing sugar and then garnish with toasted walnut halves for a beautiful presentation.

BEST CARROT SNACK CAKE -  The country cousin of the carrot cake with no bells and whistles. No frosting. This is a cake that you can enjoy eating out of hand. Perfect for packing into school lunches or for an after school treat. This is a wholesome, deliciously moist carrot cake filled with whole grain flour, plenty of carrots, toasted pecan nuts, chopped dates and a beautiful mix of warm baking spices.

Yield: one 8-inch cake

Author: Marie Rayner

Classic Carrot Cake with Pineapple

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 90 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 2 H & 10 M

This small batch version of the classic carrot cake is lush, moist and delicious. Do make the white chocolate cream cheese frosting to go with it! You won't regret it.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup (150g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups (200g) grated carrots
• 1 2/3 cups (250g) plain all purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tin (14 oz/398ml) tin of crushed pineapple, well drained

To make the white chocolate cream cheese frosting:

• 4 1/2 ounces (130g) white chocolate containing cocoa butter, chopped
• 6 ounces (170g) full fat cream cheese
• 3 TBS (42g) butter
• 3/4 TBS (10.5 g) creme fraiche or sour cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3. Butter an 8-inch round baking tin well and then line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Whisk the oil, brown sugar and maple syrup together by hand until well combined. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, soda and salt together. Add all at once to the egg mixture, stirring together until smooth. Stir in the carrots and the crushed pineapple.
4. Pour into the prepared baking pan.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 75 - 90 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Leave to cool in the pan on a wire rack for half an hour and then tip out onto the rack to cool completely. Do not frost until completely cold.
7. To make the frosting heat the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water until almost completely melted. Do NOT let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Leave to cool until it is no longer warm to the touch but still fluid.
8. Process the cream cheese, butter and creme fraiche/sour cream in a food processor until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides. Add the cooled, melted chocolate and pulse a few times until thoroughly incorporated.
9. Use the frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. Keep the cake chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
10. Bring to room temperature and cut into wedges to serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

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