Carrot-Coconut & Pineapple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

This is BIG! Real big. Imagine the perfect carrot cake...spicy, nutty, & a hint of fruit. Only now...get ready.....pineapple & coconut too! Wow. And you thought it couldn't get ANY better. Ha! I made this for Easter last year. Warning: You cannot eat just 1 piece! For reals!

Carrot cake is delicious in it of itself, but once you add the pineapple & toasted coconut, you just can't go wrong. Enjoy this variation & let me know how you LOVE it. It serves around 16 good sized portions.

 

Carrot-Coconut, Date & Pineapple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Cake:

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

3/4 pound raw carrots (about 2 1/2 cups finely grated)

½ cup crushed canned pineapple tidbits

1 cup chopped Dates

1 cup toasted Coconut flakes + 1 1/2 cups for outside of cake (optional)

1 cup yellow golden raisins

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground Ginger

1 teaspoon Nutmeg

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

1 cup canola oil (or corn oil)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

4 cups confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter or spray three - 9 x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with a circle of parchment paper. 

Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely. Peel and finely grate the carrots.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg, ginger and ground cinnamon.

In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 - 4 minutes).

Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots, dates, pineapple and chopped nuts.

Evenly divide the batter between the three prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, and then cool completely before frosting. 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter, on low speed, just until blended with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract, and lemon zest.

 

To Assemble:

Place one cake layer onto your serving plate. Arange small peices of parchment paper underneath corners of your cake, so that the icing doesn't get into your cake plate. You can pull these out as soon as you are finished icing the cake. Just don't place them too far underneath your cake, or the weight will cause the cake to break when you remove them.

Spread with a few tablespoons of frosting, then add the next and subsequent layers, repeating the same step. Once all three layers are iced in the middle "dirty" ice the outside of your cake. this layer helps to secure the cake, and mould the exterior, then ice it with the remaining icing a final time. chill until ready to serve. I also used the remaining untoasted coconut to gently place of the outside of my cake. about half the frosting.

 

Fruit and Nut Spiced Granola

 

Fruit and Nut Spiced Granola

 Ingredients:

5 cups old fashioned Oats

½ stick Butter-unsalted

1 Tablespoon Rum extract

1 Teaspoon ground Ginger

2 Teaspoons ground Cinnamon

½ Teaspoon ground Cloves

1 Teaspoon ground Nutmeg

 

1/2 cup Honey

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

2 Teaspoons pure Vanilla

3/4 cup dried Cranberries

½ cup Peanuts or Sunflower seeds

½ cup raw Almonds

½ cup Yellow or brown Raisins or chopped Dates

1 cup Coconut flakes

 

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet pan with sides.

Over stovetop in a small pot, combine butter, vanilla, rum extract, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Melt on medium heat, and then set aside. In a large bowl, combine the old fashioned oats with the butter, sugar & spice mixture. Stir well until all the oats are well coated. Add peanuts, coconut and almonds.

 

 

Spread the granola evenly onto your greased baking sheet, & bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Every 5 minutes or so, take the granola out and stir. Bake another 10-15 minutes or until the granola gets crisp and golden brown. Take the granola out and mix in the cranberries and raisins. I let my granola cool in the oven to get extra crispy. Once completely cooled, store in a large airtight container or zip lock bag.

 

Spiced Ginger-Pear Vodka

I used my beautiful & ripe Bosc pears from my last Bountiful Baskets order to make this recipe. I made the vodka in the unused jars from my canning from earlier this summer. Since we made DIY gifts for all our friends this Christmas, I gave these along with Peppermint Bark , Candy Cane Vodka ,  White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies & Cranberry-White Chocolate Cookies !

Spiced Ginger-Pear Vodka

Ingredients:

1 large Quart jar (also used for jarring or canning) with combining lid

3-4 Bosc Pears-Pitted & sliced

1/3 cup fresh peeled & chopped Ginger

1 teaspoon Nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground Ginger

¼ cup Simple Syrup

Good Quality Vodka

Directions:

Peel & slice your pears, then add to the jar. Add spices, as well as the peeled and chopped ginger. Fill the rest of the jar to the rim with vodka, shake well & then store in a cool & dry location for 2 weeks. Shake jar periodically every few days. Once ready, remove pears & strain. Add simple syrup & shake well. Serve chilled over ice, or use in a martini or mixed drink.

Carrot-Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Yeah, I know your all thinking carrot?? What the hell? But seriously, carrots are neutral & can be eaten sweet or satly, so considering how versatile they are as an ingredient, why not "health" these bars up a little. As an added bones, the carrots pair great with the pumpkin. Enjoy!

Carrot-Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

**Makes a large 16x12 pan of bars

Cheesecake Filling:

2 -8 ounce packages cream cheese

2 tablespoons All-Purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of one Orange

1 Egg-Beaten

1 teaspoon ground Ginger

¾ can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Pumpkin-Carrot Filling:

2 tablespoons Molasses

3/4 cup White Sugar

1 Egg

2 cups Pumpkin puree

1 cup cooked-chopped Carrots

3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

1/2 can Evaporated Milk

1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground Ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

Crust:

2 cups Gingerbread Graham Crackers-crushed

1/3 cup white Sugar

3 tablespoons Flour

¾ stick unsalted Butter, melted

1 teaspoon ground Ginger

¼ teaspoon ground Nutmeg

½ teaspoon Cardamom

Directions for crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 12x16 inch pan. Combine crushed graham crackers with melted butter, flour, sugar and spices. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake crust until golden, about 5-6 minutes. Cool completely.

Directions for Sweet Potato filling:

In a food processor, blend pumpkin, carrots, sugar, and evaporated milk. Once smooth, add spices, molasses, and egg. Blend well. Pour mixture on top of cooled crust. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Directions for Cream cheese filling:

Using mixer, beat cream cheese, condensed milk, flour, sugar, zest, and vanilla, in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and spices.  Reduce heat to 325. Pour cream cheese mixture on top of cooked pumpkin mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove, cool, cover and chill overnight.

Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake

Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake

**Adapted from a By Sprinkle Bakes recipe 

Ginger-Pecan Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup pecans (1.2 oz.)

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup cold butter

1 tablespoon cold water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in an 18 inch square of heavy duty aluminum.  

2. Place flour, sugar, salt, pecans and ginger in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the pecans are finely ground. Add cold butter and process until crumbs form. Add water and process in bursts until the dough starts to come together in clumps. Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

1 cup pumpkin puree (canned is fine)

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons Rum

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 lbs (20 oz, or 2 1/2 eight oz. bricks) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tbsp cornstarch

4 large eggs

1. In a medium bowl whisk together pumpkin puree, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon , ginger and salt. Set aside.

2. In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium-low until creamy (approx. 2 mins). Gradually add sugars and beat until blended. Add pumpkin mixture and beat until blended. Add cornstarch and beat until just combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl as necessary.

3. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter onto the cooled crust. Place the aluminum-wrapped pan in a roasting pan or large baking pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come up 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Bake 70-80 minutes, or until set and slightly wobbly. The cake will completely set as it cools.

Whipped Cream Topping

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, beat heavy cream until it begins to thicken slightly. Add in granulated sugar a little at a time.

2. Beat until stiff peaks form. Use to top cheesecake, or pipe in decorative swirls. You may also serve this on the side.