¾teaspoonxanthan gumomit if your blend already contains it
6tablespoons(54g)cornstarch
1teaspoonbaking soda
1 ½teaspoonsbaking powder
½teaspoonkosher salt
2teaspoonsground cinnamon
3cups(270g)peeled and grated carrots
¾cup(120g)raisins
4(200g (weighed out of shell))eggsat room temperature, beaten
½cup(112g)neutral oil(vegetable, canola, or grapeseed all work well)
¾cup(150g)granulated sugar
½cup(109g)packed light brown sugar
½cup(130g)canned crushed pineapplein its own juice (heavy on the juice)
For the Cream Cheese Icing
8ouncescream cheeseat room temperature
6tablespoons(84g)unsalted butterat room temperature
¼teaspoonkosher salt
2tablespoons(42g)light corn syrup(optional)
3cups(345g)confectioners’ sugarplus more as needed
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line it with criss-crossed sheets of unbleached parchment paper. Set the pan aside.
Make the cake batter.
In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine well.
Add the shredded carrots and raisins, and mix to combine and separate all the raisins and carrots from one another.
In a separate, medium-sized bowl, place the eggs, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and crushed pineapple in its juice. Beat with a handheld mixer until well-combined.
Create a well in the center of the bowl of dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients, and mix to combine well. The batter will be thickly pourable.
Bake the cake.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and shake back and forth to distribute the batter evenly in a single layer.
Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until golden brown all over and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs attached.
Remove the pan from the oven from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the icing.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a handheld mixer), place the cream cheese and butter. Beat on medium speed until soft and fluffy.
Add the salt, optional corn syrup and 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Mix on low speed until the sugar is absorbed.
Turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the frosting is thickened and fluffy. Add more confectioners’ sugar as necessary to achieve the desired thickness.
If you haven’t used the corn syrup, cover the bowl and place the frosting in the refrigerator to chill until stiffened slightly, about 15 minutes.
Cover the cooled cake in a thick, even layer of frosting.
To make the Entenmann’s-style decoration on the icing, drag the tines of a large fork in the frosting across the cake, leaving 1-inch between lines and cleaning the tines in between.
Drag a wet spoon lightly across the lines from the fork tines in a diagonal, leaving 1-inch between diagonal lines.
Slice into squares and serve.
Notes
Originally published on the blog in 2015. Photos, video, and some text new; recipe method modified slightly.