Carrot, pineapple and walnut cake with cream cheese topping
Chopped tinned pineapple adds sweetness and moisture to this easy carrot cake. Store in the fridge once iced so that the topping stays firm.
For this recipe you will need a 23cm/9in spring-form cake tin.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 large free-range eggs, beaten
- 240g/9oz soft light brown sugar
- 200ml/7fl oz vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
- 250g/8oz self-raising flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 325²µ/11½´Ç³ú carrots, peeled and coarsely grated (you’ll need 275g/8oz prepared carrot)
- 75²µ/2½´Ç³ú walnut halves, roughly chopped
- ½ tsp flaked sea salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch ground nutmeg
- 227g/8oz can pineapple slices in juice, drained and roughly chopped
For the topping
- 300g/10½oz full-fat soft cheese
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú mascarpone cheese
- 100ml/3½fl oz soured cream
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú very soft butter
- 65²µ/2¼´Ç³ú icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 unwaxed lemons, finely grated zest only
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Line the base and sides of a 23cm/9in spring-form cake tin with baking paper and grease lightly.
Beat the eggs and brown sugar in a food mixer until pale. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the pineapple, and beat together. Stir in the pineapple pieces.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for 55–65 minutes, or until well risen and fully cooked. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
Beat all the ingredients for the cheese frosting in a food mixer until smooth and thick. Spread over the top and sides of the cake using a spatula. Store the cake in the fridge.
