Ingredients

Carrot Cake

• 4 eggs
• 500 ml (2 cups) brown sugar
• 250 ml (1 cup) sunflower oil
• 1 x 432 g can Rhodes Quality Pineapple Crush in Light Syrup, drained, syrup reserved
• 500 ml (2 cups) cake flour
• 125 ml (½ cup) cocoa powder
• 15 ml (1 Tbsp) ground cinnamon
• 7.5 ml (1½ tsp) bicarbonate of soda
• 10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder
• 5 ml (1 tsp) salt
• 500 ml (2 cups) grated carrot
• 125 ml (½ cup) mini chocolate chips

Butter Icing

• 80 g butter
• 175 g plain cream cheese
• 125 ml (½ cup) cocoa powder
• 500 ml (2 C) icing sugar, sifted
• 30-45 ml (3 Tbsp) milk

Method

1. To make the carrot cake, beat the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Slowly beat in the oil and 125 ml (½ C) reserved pineapple syrup.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt together and fold into the liquid mixture.
4. Stir in the Rhodes Quality Pineapple Crush, carrots and chocolate chips.
5. Pour the batter into two lined cake pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 30 – 40 minutes or until a skewer, when inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool completely.
7. Cream the butter until pale and creamy.
8. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
9. Add the cocoa powder and icing sugar and beat to blend.
10. Adjust the consistency to a thick spread with the milk if needed.
11. Sandwich the cake layer together with a layer of icing.
12. Ice the top and the sides of the cake and decorate as desired.

Cooking Tip: This recipe makes a standard 20 cm double layer cake. To make our 15 cm Valentine’s cake, bake the cake in a lined and sprayed rectangular baking pan aprox. 24 x 34 cm. Cut two 15 cm rounds out of the tray once baked. Cut each 15 cm round in half horizontally to make a four layer cake. The remainder of the cake can be cut into squares.