Ingredients:
Cake:
- 2 cups All-Purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp. cloves
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 3 Tbsp. dark molasses
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple (will need blend and drain) or 1 (16 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
- 3 heaping cups shredded carrots
Frosting:
- 4 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temperature
- 2 cup powdered sugar
- Half-and-half (as needed)
Instruction:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and walnuts. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients: olive oil, sugar, melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, molasses, maple syrup, pineapple, and shredded carrots; mix until well combined then add to dry mixture. Combine the two mixtures very well.
Coat three 9 inch round cake pans with butter or baking spray and equally measure out batter into all three pans to ensure three even cakes are baked the same size and thickness. Place in preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes; prick all three cakes in the middle and make sure when they are removed the toothpick comes out clean. Let cakes cool in their pans for 10-15 minutes before gently removing by flipping over cake pan.
For the frosting, place cream cheese, butter, and sugar in a mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer until frosting reaches a smooth consistency; little splashes of half and half may be needed to lightly thin out frosting.
To frost your cake, place one cake on cake display of your choice, evenly frost the top of the cake with a smooth spatula, layer the second cake on top and frost the top, and then the third cake. Evenly spread frosting on all sides.
