Easy carrot cake with pineapple recipe

Carrot cake with pineapple puts a really nice spin on the classic carrot cake recipe. By adding in pineapple chunks the cake will be transformed from a simple carrot cake to something super moist with an extra tropical flavour. The pineapple takes it to another level and this is a great cake for any occasion - it will be ready in under an hour which is great for when you're having friends pop round and you're short on time. It's delicious with a cup of tea or dished up after dinner as a real treat.

Ingredients

• 180g carrots
• 75g tin pineapple chunks
• 80g soft dark brown sugar
• 75g walnuts, chopped plus 50g whole for on top
• 300g cream cheese
• 60g icing sugar
• juice of half an orange

Check you've got:

• 200g self-raising flour
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1tsp mixed spice
• 150ml mild olive oil
• 2 medium organic free-range eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4) and line 2 x 20cm sandwich tins.
2. Peel and grate the carrot and set to one side. Drain the pineapple thoroughly.
3. Mix the flour, bicarbonate, mixed spice and dark brown sugar in a bowl then, using an electric mixer, add in the oil and eggs until combined. Stir in the grated carrots, pineapple and chopped walnuts.
4. Pour into the tins and bake for 20 mins - the cakes are done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the tins and cool on a wire rack.
5. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and icing sugar together with the orange juice and vanilla extract. Once the cakes have cooled, spread the icing over one of the cakes, put the other on top, then ice with the remaining frosting and decorate with walnuts.