Recipe for cooking Tradewinds Carrot Cake

Desserts to Go with Coffee and Tea :: Sheet Cakes and Layer Cakes

Tradewinds Carrot Cake

Serves 16.

1 3/4 c. plus 4 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 2/3 c. sugar
3 lrg. eggs
4 c. shredded carrots
1 c. chopped unsalted macadamia nuts or pecans
1/2 c. raisins or currants
2 c. diced fresh pineapple
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. pineapple juice
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla extract or flavoring
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. softened butter
1 c. powdered\sugar
1 tea. vanilla extract or flavoring
1 c. finely chopped toasted unsalted macadamia nuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease three 9 x 1-inch cake pans. Line bottom with circle of wax paper. Grease paper and lightly flour pans.

Carrot Cake: (first 10 ingredients) Sift together 1 3/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In large mixing bowl, combine oil, sugar and eggs. With electric mixer, beat at medium speed until light in color, about 3 to 4 min.. At low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until smooth.

Combine carrots, nuts, raisins and remaining 2 Tbsp. flour. Gently fold into batter. Pour batter into greased pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 28 to 30 min.. Turn cake out and cool completely, paper side down.

Pineapple filling: (next 5 ingredients) In medium saucepan, combine pineapple and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until pineapple is tender, about 15 to 20 min..

Combine pineapple juice and cornstarch, and stir into cooked pineapple; boil for 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract or flavoring. Cool. Can be made ahead and chilled, covered, in refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Icing: In medium bowl, with electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter. Add sugar and vanilla extract or flavoring; beat until smooth.

To Assemble Cake: Peel paper off cake layers. Place one layer on serving plate. Spread pineapple filling over cake layer. Place second layer on top of filling and spread about 1 c. of icing over cake layer. Top with third layer and spread remaining icing evenly over sides and top of cake.

Press chopped toasted nuts onto sides of cake.

Makes approximately one 9-inch 3 layer cake.

Makes approximately: 16 servings.