Pineapple Carrot Cake

Well …Pineapple Carrot Cake…hmm.  It’s been a love/hate relationship at the Ormond house,  until today.  I LOVE this recipe and have had it since 2002 from Taste of Home. My husband was just not a believer, even though I have made it a number of times in the past, he took a bite today and asked if I had ever made this before. I almost fell over and he got the not so nice look from me.  He continued to stuff his face with cake that he thought he would NEVER eat.. Ugh!  Needless to say he really enjoyed the cake and continued with another one. Robby also really enjoyed the cake.  He had his portion BEFORE lunch. Well..it happens! As my Dad has always told his grandkids, “always eat dessert first!”  With Easter around the corner, check out my other Easter recipes, the cutest Easter Bunnies Ever and Easiest Easter Bark. 🙂

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 jars (6 ounces each) carrot baby food
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

FROSTING
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 3 1/4 cup confectioners sugar

Additional chopped walnuts. optional

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the oil, eggs and baby food carrots .  Mix on low speed until well blended. Stir in pineapple and nuts. Pour into two greased and floured 9 inch round baking pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for ten minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

FROSTING
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla and confectioners sugar until mixture reaches spreading consistency.  Spread a layer of frosting between layers of cake and then cover with second layer and frost top and the sides. Garnish with nuts.

Enjoy!