Hawaiian Carrot Cake
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
- 2 cups grated carrot
- 1.5 cups almond meal/ground almonds
- 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 3 cloves, ground finely
- 160ml/5.6ozs. virgin coconut oil, melted
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 100g/3.5ozs. crushed pineapple, well drained
- 80g/3ozs macadamia nuts, toasted and chopped
- 45g/1.7ozs glace ginger, chopped
Silky cream cheese frosting
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 100g/3.5ozs, butter softened and cut into cubes
- 250g/0.5lb cream cheese, softened
- Coconut extract
- 1 tablespoon pineapple juice (from drained pineapple above)
- You will also need a sugar thermometer
Pineapple flowers
- 1 whole pineapple
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
Step 1 - Make pineapple flowers first as they take over an hour to dry out. Preheat oven to 100C/212F and take place two cooling racks on top of two baking trays. Simmer the sugar and water together for about 3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
Step 2 - Top and tail the pineapple and remove the skin. Using a mandolin or a very steady hand, slice the pineapple into as thin slices as possible while keeping them a circle. Place on the oven rack and brush with the sugar syrup and bake on low oven for 1 hour or until dried out. Take them out of the oven and shape them into the way you want them to sit as they will dry and set this way.
Step 3 - Preheat oven to 170C/340F and line three 21cm/8.4inch round tins with parchment. Mix the carrot, almond meal, sugar, baking powder, bicarb, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves together creating a sandy mix.
Step 4 - Whisk the coconut oil and eggs together. Add this to the carrot mix along with the pineapple, macadamias and ginger stirring until combined.
Step 5 - Divide the mixture evenly into three portions. Bake for 25 minutes until baked through until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool completely in the tin and wrap in cling film until needed.
Step 6 - Fit a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water - I just use the metal mixer bowl. Add the egg whites and sugar and whisk lightly until it reaches 60C/140F by which stage the sugar should have melted. Remove from heat and attach whisk attachment to mixer and whisk until doubled in volume and stiff peaks form. Add the butter cubes one by one until incorporated.
Step 7 - Scrape the mixture into another bowl and set aside. Whisk the cream cheese until soft and then add the egg white and butter mixture as well as the coconut extract and pineapple juice and whip until you get a thick, smooth frosting.
Step 8 - Divide the icing in three portions and spread it between the layers. Top with the pineapple flowers.