Aunt Ada's Carrot-Coconut Cake

Zurie's Note:

Ever since I joined Zaar I wanted to post this wonderful, never-fails-to-impress recipe. I know there are dozens of carrot cake recipes on Zaar, but I haven't come across one exactly like this one. It bakes perfectly at any altitude and is scrumptious. The metric measures are the ones I use.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
• Prep Time: 35 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• 2 cups cake flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 3 large eggs, the largest size
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 lb crushed pineapple, canned**
• 2 cups finely grated carrots
• 1 1/2 cups desiccated unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup walnuts, broken up

Directions:

1. * Don't use canola oil, which is very thin. Use sunflower or corn oil, or other cooking oil.
2. ** Crushed pineapple comes in 440g (14 oz)tins here in South Africa: the 1/2 lb is what you will more or less have after draining lightly. You do not have to weigh the pineapple to be the exact weight given above. The trick is to let most of the liquid drain off by itself, but the pineapple should still be fairly juicy, so do not press on it -- just tip into a sieve over a bowl.
3. ***I'm not sure whether you get the fine, unsweetened dessicated coconut in the USA. If not, use sweetened; it should not make a huge difference.
4. Preheat oven to 375 deg F/190 deg C, and about 25 deg.F/10 deg C less if you're using a fan/convection oven.
5. Grease a cake tin: I use a square one, about 7" - 8" square, which is about 23 cm square. Line the bottom only with nonstick or wax paper, and grease the paper again. Grease sides well. (Or use an average-sized round tin).
6. Open the can of crushed pineapple, and let it drain in a sieve set over a bowl. Leave until needed.
7. If you have a fine processor blade, you could use that to grate the carrots, but a box grater normally has a side with finer holes: I use that.
8. Mix the flour, baking powder and spices in a bowl. I don't sift cake flour.
9. Beat the oil, eggs, vanilla and sugar very well in a roomy bowl, until creamy and lighter in colour. The sugar will not dissolve completely.
10. Stir in the flour, alternately with the rest of the ingredients: pineapple (which will still contain juice), carrot, coconut and walnuts.
11. Mix well with a wooden spoon or electric mixer.
12. The batter is fairly runny. Pour into the prepared tin. If using a square tin it's a good idea to cover the corners with pieces of foil to prevent burning.
13. Bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
14. Do this test, because ovens differ and your cake might need a few minutes more.
15. Turn out, and cool.
16. Topping: use any cream or creamed cottage cheese topping or icing.

Reviews

[Montana Heart Song]

It is sooo good! The carrots & coconut are wonderful together. I doubled the recipe and I made 8 small loafs, 1 large loaf and 1 large spring form pan cake. I didn't have allspice, used Chinese five spice, sweetened coconut.I used chopped walnuts & pecans. I will continue to make forever. Tomorrow I will frost with cream cheese icing and some will drizzle glaze and balance will be wrapped for gifts. Two grandsons finished two tonight and loved the cakes also.I took photos also. Thanks for posting.