What are you normally doing for Easter? An Easter egg hunt? We don’t do that anymore here, but on Easter Sunday we normally have a nice breakfast or brunch with loads of food. Homemade bread, salad, warm dishes and of course cake. There is one that has to be on the table for Easter: Carrot Cake!

Here in Germany, this kind of cake is called “Karottenkuchen” or in the area where I am coming from it is called “Rüeblikuchen”. The carrot cakes from the U.S. and Germany are slightly different – the one here, which is based on a recipe from the U.S., is made with pineapple. The carrot cake from Germany is mostly done with carrots and nuts – no pen pineapple apple pen (I hope you get the reference and don’t think I’m totally crazy) :P
Anyways. If you want to do some decorations, follow the steps of the recipe and create a carrot pattern on top of the cake. If you want to go a bit further, make little carrots out of marzipan like the ones I did for these Carrot Cake Cupcakes. If you are not in the mood or just tooooooo lazy, just add the plain cream cheese frosting on top. It’s still awesome and delicious ;)

INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the cakes:
2 1/2 cups (320g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (280g) shredded carrots
1 can (8 oz./230g) pineapple pieces in juice
1/2 cup (60g) chopped walnuts
For the Frosting:
4 oz. (120g) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (60g) butter, room temperature
2 cups (260g) confectioner’s sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp. heavy cream (if needed)
food color (orange/green)
Für die Kuchen:
320g Mehl (Type 405)
2 TL Backpulver
1 TL Natron
2 TL gemahlener Zimt
1/2 TL gemahlene Muskatnuss
1/4 TL gemahlene Nelken
1/2 TL Salz
200g brauner Zucker
100g Zucker
180ml Sonnenblumenöl
3 Eier (L)
2 TL Vanille Extrakt
280g Karotten, geraspelt
1 Dose (230g) Ananasstücke im Saft
60g Walnüsse, gehackt
Für das Frosting:
120g Frischkäse, Zimmertemperatur
60g Butter, Zimmertemperatur
260g Puderzucker
1 1/2 TL Vanille Extrakt
1-2 EL Sahne (falls notwendig)
Lebensmittelfarbe (Orange/Grün)


DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl mix, the sugars with the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined. Drain the pineapple and add the juice to the bowl, cut the pineapple into small pieces and add together with the grated carrots and chopped walnuts to the bowl. Mix until well combined. Add the flour mixture and fold in until just combined. Divide the batter between the loaf pans and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Take out of the oven and let cool down in the pans for about 20-30 minutes, then remove and let cool down completely on a wire rack.
3. Mix the cream cheese and butter for the frosting until well combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth – add some heavy cream if the frosting is too thick. Take about two tablespoons of the frosting and divide between two small bowls. Add some orange food color to the first bowl and some green food color to the second bowl. Mix each until you get the desired color. Fill each colored frosting into a small piping bag. Frost the cakes with the white frosting and pipe little carrots on top of that frosting.
2. Das Mehl mit Backpulver, Natron, Zimt, Muskatnuss, Nelken und Salz in einer Schüssel vermischen und zur Seite stellen. In einer großen Schüssel die beiden Zuckersorten mit dem Öl, Eiern und Vanille Extrakt verrühren. Die Ananas abtropfen lassen und den Saft ebenfalls mit in die Schüssel geben. Die Ananasstücke in kleine Würfel schneiden und zusammen mit den geriebenen Karotten und gehackten Walnüssen zur Schüssel dazugeben und alles gut vermengen. Die Mehlmischung zugeben und nur kurz verrühren. Den Teig auf die beiden Formen aufteilen und dann für 40-45 Minuten backen – mit einem Zahnstocher testen, ob noch Teig kleben bleibt und erst herausnehmen, wenn der Zahnstocher einigermaßen sauber herauskommt. Aus dem Ofen nehmen und in den Formen für etwa 20-30 Minuten abkühlen lassen, dann herauslösen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett auskühlen lassen.
3. Für das Frosting den Frischkäse mit der Butter verrühren, bis sich beides gut verbunden hat. Den Puderzucker und Vanille Extrakt zugeben und gut verrühren. Sollte das Frosting zu fest sein, noch etwas Sahne zugeben und glattrühren, bis die Konsistenz weich, aber nicht flüssig ist – es soll nicht weglaufen. Vom Frosting jeweils etwa einen Esslöffel abnehmen und in separate Schüsseln geben. Jede Portion mit etwas Lebensmittelfarbe (Orange und Grün) verrühren, bis die Farbe passt und dann jeweils in einen kleinen Spritzbeutel füllen (kann man sich auch mit Papier basteln). Die Kuchen jetzt erst mit dem weißen Frosting bestreichen und dann mit kleinen Karotten verzieren, die mit den zwei farbigen Frostings aufgespritzt werden.

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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Carrot Walnut Loaf Cake
- Prep Time: 00:25
- Cook Time: 00:45
- Total Time: 01:30
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: American
Description
Delicious carrot cake with pineapple and walnuts. The perfect texture and flavor combination!
Ingredients
For the cakes:
2 1/2 cups (320g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (280g) shredded carrots
1 can (8 oz./230g) pineapple pieces in juice
1/2 cup (60g) chopped walnuts
For the Frosting:
4 oz. (120g) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (60g) butter, room temperature
2 cups (260g) confectioner’s sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1–2 tbsp. heavy cream (if needed)
food color (orange/green)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175°C). Grease two 8.5×4.5 inches (22x11cm) loaf pans or line with baking parchment (I recommend that). Set aside. Grate the carrots. Set aside.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl mix, the sugars with the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined. Drain the pineapple and add the juice to the bowl, cut the pineapple into small pieces and add together with the grated carrots and chopped walnuts to the bowl. Mix until well combined. Add the flour mixture and fold in until just combined. Divide the batter between the loaf pans and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Take out of the oven and let cool down in the pans for about 20-30 minutes, then remove and let cool down completely on a wire rack.
3. Mix the cream cheese and butter for the frosting until well combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth – add some heavy cream if the frosting is too thick. Take about two tablespoons of the frosting and divide between two small bowls. Add some orange food color to the first bowl and some green food color to the second bowl. Mix each until you get the desired color. Fill each colored frosting into a small piping bag. Frost the cakes with the white frosting and pipe little carrots on top of that frosting.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
Keywords: carrot cake, cheesecake, frosting