I must admit I don’t particularly care for Valentine’s day and I rarely even acknowledge it’s existence. In theory it’s a great idea. Celebrating love! Yes, I am so in! There isn’t anything more important to celebrate. But Valentine’s day is about romantic love and that means missing out on so much other love worthy of celebration. What about love in a family or between friends? Or the love we have for our communities and our fellow human beings? I want to celebrate all those kinds of love! But all that said, this year I also really wanted to celebrate my awesome partner Dan, just because he is the best, you know? So this year Valentine’s day is all about carrot-pineapple cake.

Carrot cake has always been Dan’s favorite. Years ago when we were riding our bicycles across Australia (and living in a tent and sharing a sleeping bag and somehow not murdering each other) I tracked down a carrot cake for his birthday. We ate it on our hostel floor and it was glorious.

I’ve made many carrot cakes for him over the years and I’ve learned a lot about what makes them good. To us, this is the tastiest version. No nuts, (although coconut would be nice I think) this is all about the warm brown sugar, cinnamon and carrot flavor. We like a fairly dense, yet still light cake that is rich and super moist, thus the addition of sour cream and pineapple. This thing smells truly incredible while baking. Oh and cream cheese frosting is mandatory.

If I can leave you with one thing it’s that pineapple in carrot cake is a revelation. It’s not strongly pineappley flavored, it just brings out the rest of the flavors, kind of like squeezing lemon on top of anything just makes it taste better.

So go hug the people you love and celebrate them in whatever way makes you happiest.

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Carrot-Pineapple Cake

A dark brown, gooey, moist and rich carrot-pineapple cake covered in a generous heap of fluffy cream cheese frosting.

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Course Dessert

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

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• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup carrots grated
• 1/2 cup pineapple finely chopped and drained
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature (1 stick)
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla (or sub pineapple juice or extract)

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!