Recipe: Tropical Carrot and Coconut Cake

One 13-by-9-inch cake

Nonstick cooking spray

2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground cloves

4 large eggs

2 cups superfine sugar

1 cup plain vegetable oil

¼ pound (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

One can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in natural juices, 2 tablespoons juice reserved for frosting, then drained well

2 1/3 cups lightly packed grated carrots (see Kitchen Note)

1 1/3 cups lightly packed sweetened flaked coconut

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside.

3. Beat eggs in the large bowl of an electric mixer on moderate speed 1 minute. Blend in sugar and beat 1 minute. Blend in oil and melted butter. Beat in vanilla and drained pineapple. Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently with a rubber spatula.

4. On low speed, add sifted flour mixture in two additions, beating just until flour is absorbed. Stir in carrots and coconut. Scrape into prepared baking pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until risen and golden brown on top; a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake should test clean. The cake will pull away slightly from the sides of the baking pan. Let cake stand in pan on a cooling rack. Cool completely.

5. Place large spoonfuls of the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting on top of the cake; use a flexible palette knife to spread it evenly. Let frosting set 1 hour before cutting cake into squares for serving. Refrigerate any leftover cake, covered tightly with aluminum foil.

Kitchen Note: Grate carrots through the large holes of a box grater, or cut into 2-inch lengths and use the grating blade of a food processor.

From "Baking by Flavor" by Lisa Yockelson