This really is the best carrot cake ever. The addition of coconut and pineapple create a moist cake, all topped off with a luscious cream cheese frosting which has  a hint of lemon.This cake is not dense as I use oil instead of butter. Don’t be tempted to add all the ingredients in together. Whisking the eggs, sugar and oil before adding the rest of the ingredients is vital to creating a light cake. You can also  make this cake as a tray bake.

For the icing

115 grams/ ½ cup/ 4 ounces cream cheese

50 grams/ 3 ½ tablespoons/ 2 ounces unsalted butter

400 grams/ 3   cups/ 14 ounces icing sugar

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

Ingredients

2 medium eggs

200 grams /1 cup/ 7 ounces soft brown sugar

150 millilitres / ½ pint (US and UK) sunflower or veg oil

200 grams / 4 cups/ 7 ounces grated carrot

50 grams/ ½ cup/ 2 ounces walnut pieces optional

75 grams / cup diced pineapple fresh or tinned roughly chopped

50 grams / ½ cup /2 ounces desiccated coconut

200 grams / 1  ½  cups/ 7 ounces plain flour (all purpose)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon bread soda

1 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 150 C/302 F

Line an8  inches/20 centimetre round or square tin

Prepare icing in advance so it can chill. Beat cream cheese and butter together. Add icing sugar in three equal batches and leave in fridge to set. Cover your mixer with a tea towel to prevent the icing sugar causing a dust cloud!

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until doubled in volume. Add sugar and continue beating until pale and fluffy. With whisk still on add oil in a slow steady stream and keep beating until mixture holds its shape.

Using a metal spoon gently fold in carrot, nuts, pineapple and coconut. Add sifted flour, cinnamon, bread soda and salt and slowly mix until combined.

Transfer to cake tin and bake for an hour until a skewer comes out cleanly. Cool in tin for 15-20 min then turn our onto a wire rack. When completely cooled, slice cake in half and sandwich together with frosting. Spread remaining frosting over the top. Enjoy!

Make this cake gluten free by substituting the flour and baking powder with a GF variety. I like Dove’s Farm brand. Remember to include ¼ teaspoon of Xanthan gum.