I offer this recipe with great enthusiasm. It's definitely the best example of this flavor cake I've ever tasted. I prepare this without nuts, raisins, or other such additions, because that's my family's preference. However, feel free to make your preferred additions, a cup or so of whatever you choose. Use the white chocolate/cream cheese frosting for a truly great treat!
| 3 | cups | Flour, All Purpose, UnbleachedMeasured lightly into a measuring cup |
| 1 | tsp | SaltScant |
| 1 | tbsp | Baking Soda |
| 1 | tbsp | Cinnamon, GroundI'm often generous with cinnamon |
| 1 | cup | Unsalted ButterTwo eight ounce sticks |
| 4 | Egg/s | |
| 1 | tbsp | Vanilla |
| 3 | cups | CarrotsA little scant, a little less than a pound, 5 very good sized, peeled and sliced into one-inch pieces |
| 1 | cup | White SugarScant |
| 1 | cup | Dark Brown SugarWell packed |
| ½ | cup | Pineapple Juice |
| 1 | I use 2 eight-inch round cake pans, which makes a very high layer cake. This recipe would also work with two nine inch pans. Cut wax paper or parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pans. Grease the pans, bottom and sides, with unsalted butter. Place the wax paper on the bottom. Grease the wax paper, and then dust the pans with flour. |
| 2 | Place the carrot chunks in a smallish saucepan. Add just enough water so that it "peeks" through the top layer of carrots. Let the carrots cook over medium heat, uncovered, just until the water is evaporated. You have to watch close to when the water disappears, so that the carrots don't burn on the bottom. I've cooked these so that they've become browned on the bottom, and used them, and even found the result is a slightly carmelized flavor. I cook the carrots this way so that the flavor stays in the carrots, rather than getting drained out with the cooking water. Puree the carrots in a food mill or food processor. I sometimes do this the day before, to cut the time of actually preparing the cake batter. |
| 3 | Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| 4 | In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients, mixing well with a whisk. Alternately, sift dry ingredients together. |
| 5 | In a smaller bowl, combine the pureed carrots and pineapple juice. |
| 6 | In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugars. Beat them thoroughly, a very important part of texture of the completed cake. The mixture should become somewhat fluffy. Add the vanilla and continue beating. Add the eggs, beating to combine well after each addition. |
| 7 | Starting with approximately one quarter of the dry ingredients, add them alternately with the pineapple juice/carrot mixture, ending with mixing in the last bit of flour mixture. Mix just until homogenous. |
| 8 | Divide the batter, which will be somewhat stiff, between the two prepared cake pans. |
| 9 | Bake for 35 minutes. I use a convection oven, so, with a conventional oven it is possible that you may need five to ten more minutes. The tops will look a rich brown color. The cakes, when finished, do not necessarily shrink from the sides of the pans. When touched softly with a finger, the top will spring back. |