Carrot Cake with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Carrot Cake with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

  • cooking spray
  • Cake:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups grated carrots
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained and juice reserved
  • Frosting:
  • 1 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice
  • 1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a bowl; add white sugar, buttermilk, applesauce, oil, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and mix well. Stir buttermilk mixture, carrots, pecans, and drained pineapple into flour mixture just until mixed; pour into prepared dish.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in baking dish on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.
  4. Beat Neufchatel cheese and 1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth; add confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 pinch salt and beat until frosting is smooth. Spread frosting on cake.
Recipe of the Day|