carrot cake with coconut cream cheese frosting

1 lb carrots, trimmed, peeled, grated to make 3 cups
2 cups sugar
¾ cup butter
8 oz can crushed pineapple in juice (don’t drain)
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
4 large eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
½ cup each flaked coconut, chopped walnuts & raisins
1 tbs cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour

Prepare a 12-cup bundt pan (do not try this in any other pan, or it won’t cook through). In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together sugar and butter. Add pineapple with juice and applesauce and beat until well incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and carrots and beat on high for 1 minute. Whisk together flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Reduce mixer to low speed and gradually add dry ingredients. Beat 2 minutes, until well blended. Scrape into prepared pan and bake at 350-degrees for 65-70 minutes, until a tester inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Cool completely in pan, on a rack. Invert onto a serving plate and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Coconut cream cheese frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tbs butter
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 ½ tsp grated orange zest
1 tbs fresh orange juice
½ cup flaked coconut

In a medium bowl, with mixer on medium, beat all ingredients, except coconut, until smooth and creamy. Fold in coconut and frost cake. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.


Where to find it: If you’re shopping for a bundt pan for this cake, consider a silicone model. They’re flexible and naturally non-stick, so don’t need to be buttered and floured before being battered (just peel them away from the baked cake). Place the soft silicone pan on a baking sheet for support, and bake according to the same directions. Got mine at Superstore.