Pumpkin Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Moist, delicious pumpkin carrot cake with the creamiest cream cheese frosting. The perfect recipe for a tea-time treat and a definite crowd pleaser.

So here’s the deal with this cake: It’s pretty much diet food. What else do you call a cake that contains TWO vegetables and a fruit? Well, you could also call it delicious. Or amazing. Or the-best-cake-you’ve-ever-tasted. Whatevs. The most important thing is that you don’t feel guilty when you eat one (or two or three or four) slice(s) of this incredible pumpkin carrot cake. And believe me, eating numerous slices isn’t all that hard.

Let’s start with the texture of this bad boy. I’m going to use the dreaded “m” word but just deal with it. This cake is so super moist, it’s almost unbelievable. This is due to the entire can of crushed pineapple with juice that is added right at the end as well as the cup of pumpkin puree. Both of which add only a hint of flavour but guarantee a soft, moist carrot cake.

Then, because of the natural sweetness of the pineapple and the pumpkin, you don’t need to use as much sugar so I only used dark brown sugar. You could use regular white sugar but the Muscavado sugar I used adds an incredibly caramel flavour to the finished cake. This along with the spices and grated carrots results in a seriously delicious sponge. Finish that off with the creamiest cream cheese frosting (cream cheese is by far the best carrot cake icing out there) you’ve ever tasted and you have the best carrot cake recipe you’ll ever taste.

5 from 4 votes

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Pumpkin Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

Moist, delicious pumpkin carrot cake with the creamiest cream cheese frosting. The perfect recipe for a tea-time treat and a definite crowd pleaser.

Course: Baked goods, Cake, Dessert, Easter

Servings: 10

Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

• 1 cup or 2 sticks softened butter
• 1 cup packed soft brown sugar (I used Muscavado sugar)
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 2 ¾ cups cake flour all purpose
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• pinch of ground cloves
• reserved juice from crushed pineapple
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 x 400g approx 14 oz can/tin crushed pineapple with juice, drained but juice reserved
• 1 ½ cups grated carrots

for the cream cheese frosting

• 1/2 cup /1 stick butter, softened
• 1/4 cup cream cheese softened
• 2 cups icing sugar sifted
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°c and grease and line 3x 20cm cake pans with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices.
5. Add the flour and the pineapple juice, alternatively, to the creamed butter, sugar and eggs and mix until everything has been incorporated.
6. Fold in the pumpkin purée, crushed pineapple and carrots.
7. Divide the batter between the three prepared pans and place in the oven.
8. Bake for 20-30 minute until the cakes are golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
10. To make the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese then add the icing sugar and mix until thick and creamy.
11. Add the lemon juice and mix through then stack the cakes, dividing the frosting between the layers then serve.
12. *This cake will last for approximately one week if kept in an airtight container.

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