Pineapple and Carrot Layer Cake

I have the most exciting news. But I can’t tell you. Shame. Next week I should be able to. I don’t want to prematurely pass on my excitement only for it to all fall through. So tune in next week....

Having said that, next week my post will be a day late. Sorry about that. I would schedule it to post but it didn’t work last time so I don’t have high expectations.

Anyway, why you ask? Well I’m off to New Zealand! Woohooo! It’s exciting because it’ll be my first time leaving Australia! Gasp! It’s a bit odd because I love travelling and staying in new places and living out of a suitcase, and I’ve been pretty much everywhere within Australia. I just haven’t left the country. So yes. Excitement.

I’m heading over for the boyf’s cousin’s wedding. So I’ll be meeting all the extended family. At a wedding. Guess I have to reel in my bogan ways and wear shoes and not swear. Gonna be tough! I had a slight breakdown over my outfit for the wedding. There’s just so much pressure ya know?

The only downside is that it’s a very short trip. 4 little days. Very traumatic for me because I haven’t had a decent holiday in a very long time. I think it’s been 2 years since I had more than a week off.... I would have loved for this trip to be longer, but oh well.

In other news, this week was the boyf’s mum’s birthday. I don’t have too many people I can spoil in my life since no one lives near me, so when something comes around BAM I go bonkers.

She’s not a total sweet tooth like me so I tried to scale back the sugar and provide more appropriate foods.... I made:

And for the piece de resistance.....

Now this cake. So good. So moooist. (I don’t understand why people don’t like that word). Probably not the best cake for layering because it’s so moist it just crumbles when cut. But whatever it’s still bonkers good.

Cake: 2 cups plain flour 2tsp baking powder 1 1/2tsp baking soda 2tsp cinnamon 1/2tsp ground cloves 1tsp allspice 1 cup drained crushed pineapple 2 cups grated carrot ½ cup chopped walnuts 1 3/4 cups sugar 1 ½ cups vegetable oil 1tsp vanilla 4 eggs

Frosting: 200g cream cheese 1 cup icing sugar 115g butter, at room temperature 1tsp vanilla 1/8tsp lemon zest

Grease three round pans of the same size. If you only have one, just bake each layer after each other.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices together in a bowl.

Stir the carrots and walnuts into the drained pineapple.

Lightly beat the sugar, oil and vanilla with a mixer until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each.

On low speed, add the dry ingredient to the sugar mixture.  

Blend in the pineapple mixture.

Divide the mixture between the three pans. If you only have one pan, I’d recommend weighing the batter and scooping out a third each time, to ensure you don’t guesstimate incorrectly…

Bake at 180^oC for about 45mins. Cool in the pan if you can, otherwise leave for 5 mins before inverting to a wire rack and baking the second layer.

Only frost the cake when it has cooled.

Frosting

Cream all of the ingredients on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Keep the frosting refrigerated until ready to use.

(apologies for the photo. They wouldn't wait around for me to take photos -__- )