Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake with "Cinnabon Icing"

When it comes to desserts, my family has a hard time agreeing on what to have. Cake, cookies, chocolate, vanilla...no one can ever seem to agree. But one sweet treat my family will always agree on is a good ole carrot cake. Granted the issue of additions comes up (raisins? walnuts? pecans? all of the above???), but in the end, everyone always loves this basic version bursting with warm, spiced carrot. I recently ramped up the icing recipe to create a seriously indulgent, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G frosting that tastes just like eating a cinnabon...I promise your friends and family will be asking you to make a giant batch of it just for them to eat straight out of the bowl!

Carrot Cake

Makes 9 large squares or 12 smaller rectangles

Ingredients:

- 1 cup flour

- 1/4 cup granulated sugar

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1 tsp baking soda

- pinch of salt

- 1 heaped tbls cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

- 1/2 tsp cardamom (my super special secret ingredient! Shhh...)

- 1 egg

- 1/2 cup vegetable oil

- 1 splash vanilla

- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple (roughly drained)

- 1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

- 1 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/2 cup other  additions, if desired

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Combine flour, sugars, baking powder and soda, salt cinnamon, pie spice and cardamom in a bowl.  Mix thoroughly.

3. Incorporate egg, oil and vanilla.

4. Add in pineapple, coconut and carrot, as well as additions, if using. Stir only until combined.

5. Pour mixture into greased 8 inch x 8 inch square baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes.

"Cinnabon Icing"

Ingredients:

- 250 grams cream cheese

- 1/2 cup butter

- 1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

- 1/4 tsp vanilla

- 1 tsp pineapple juice (or lemon juice)

- 1 tsp cinnamon

Method:

1. Cream all ingredients together using electric mixer/beaters.

2. Spread over cooled cake. Or eat with a spoon. Your choice.