Skillet Carrot Cake from Southern Cast Iron

By srumbel

If you pick it up, flip open the back cover and you’ll see a photo of myself, my Mama, and my precious Grandmother along with a story I wrote about her. Grandmama has been gone a few years now but we took this photo about two years prior to her passing for a story in Taste of the South Magazine (a sister publication of Southern Cast Iron). I can’t tell you how good it was on my heart to look into her smiling eyes again.
from southernplate.com

Ingredients

• Crushed pineapple and coconut give this cake a delicious tropical twist.
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 ⁄3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 +1⁄2 cups finely grated carrot
• 1 (4-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1 ⁄4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 ⁄4 cup pecans, chopped
• Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
• Garnish: chopped pecans
• CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 ⁄4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 +1⁄2 cups confectioners’sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, and eggs. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in carrot, pineapple, coconut, and pecans. Spread batter in prepared skillet.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely.

To make Cream Cheese Frosting: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth.

Frost cake. Garnish with chopped pecans, if desired.

Serves: Makes 1 (9-inch) cake