Hawaiian Carrot Cake with Coconut Icing

By AnnieMro

Ingredients

• Coconut icing:
• 1 cup chopped canned pineapple
• 4 cups grated carrot
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 cup butter, at room temp.
• 1 1/4 cups golden brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 pkgs. regular cream cheese, at room temp.
• 1 cup butter, at room temp.
• 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 2 X 9" round cake pans. Finely chopped drained pineapple, place in a sieve and press with a spoon to remove as much juice as possible. Grate carrots using a processor. Measure out 4 cups and set aside. Place flour in a large bowl. Sprinkle with baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until blended.

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar, then beat on medium for about 3 mins. Beat in eggs, then vanilla. Beating on low speed, add about 1/3 of flour and beat just until mixed, followed by half the milk. Repeat, ending with flour. Batter will be very thick. Gradually mix in pineapple and carrots.

Divide between pans. Spread to pan sides. To remove air pockets, bang pans on counter 5-6 times. Bake until centres seem set when lightly tapped, from 40-45 mins. Place on a baking rack to cool. After about 15 mins., turn cakes out of pans and cool completely on rack. It's best to bake cakes a day ahead of icing and leave at room temp. overnight.

Cut cream cheese into chunks. Place butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and beat in cream cheese, piece by piece. Beating too much will cause thinning. Add about 1/3 of the icing sugar and beat on low until just mixed in. Scrape sides of bowl and beaters occasionally. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating just until smooth. If too thick or thin, work in a little sour cream or sugar. Remove about a quarter of the icing to be used on top cake layer and set aside. Stir coconut into the remaining icing.

Slice cakes horizontally in half. Place top of 1 cake, dome-side down on a platter. Spread with 1/3 of the coconut icing, leaving a narrow border around edge. Lay the bottom of the cake, cut-side down on top. Spread with 1/2 the remaining coconut icing, leaving a narrow border. Top with the bottom half of the 2nd cake, cut-side down. Spread with the remaining coconut icing, leaving a border. Top with the final layer, cut-side down. Spread with icing right to the edges. Refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.