By CountryLiving
Total Time:
Prep:
Level:
Easy
Serves:
1
Ingredients
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- ½ c. granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. each baking powder and ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 c. oil
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 c. shredded carrots
- 1 can crushed pineapple
- ¾ c. pecans or walnuts
- ¾ c. sweetened flaked coconut
- frosting
- 1 brick (8 oz) cream cheese
- 1 stick butter
- ½ tsp. freshly grated orange peel
- 1½ c. confectioners’ sugar
- Green, red and yellow liquid food color
- 1 c. pecans or walnuts
Directions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Coat two 8- or 9-in. round cake pans with nonstick spray.
- Cake:Put first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir to blend. Make a well in center; add oil and eggs. Stir with rubber spatula, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally, until well blended. Stir in remaining ingredients. Divide between pans; spread evenly.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around cakes, then invert on rack to cool.
- Meanwhile make Frosting: Beat first 3 ingredients in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until blended. Reduce speed to low; beat in sugar. Remove 1⁄4 cup to a cup. Spoon 2 tsp removed frosting into another cup; tint green and scrape into a small ziptop bag. Using red and yellow food color, tint remaining frosting in cup orange. Scrape into another ziptop bag. Seal bags; refrigerate until needed.
- To frost: Place 1 cake layer, top side up, on serving plate. Spread top with 1⁄2 cup frosting. Top with second layer, bottom side up. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Pat sides with chopped nuts.
- To decorate:Lightly score the frosting into 12 wedges to use as a guide when piping the carrots. Briefly warm bags of frosting between hands. Use orange frosting to pipe 12 carrots on cake. Snip a tiny upside-down V in bottom corner of bag with green frosting; pipe carrot tops.
Tips & Techniques
Bake cake and make frosting up to 2 days ahead. Wrap layers separately;
store frosting airtight. Refrigerate both. Rebeat frosting to use.
