Ingredients
For cake:
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- Butter and flour for greasing pan
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
- 3 cups grated carrots (about 5 or 6 medium carrots or 10 oz)
For whipped cream:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 cups very cold heavy cream
Instructions
For cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread 1 cup chopped pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Watch closely toward the end as they will burn quickly. Remove baking sheet from oven and set aside to cool.
- Butter and flour a 13 x 18 baking sheet
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 cup light brown sugar until combined. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 4 large eggs whisking until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons ground ginger.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold in using a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in drained 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, 3 cups grated carrots, and pecans.
- Pour batter onto the greased and floured baking sheet and smooth top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely – approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
For whipped cream:
- When the cake is cool, add 8 ounces cream cheese and 4 ounces unsalted butter to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high until fully combined and smooth, about 1 minute. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Turn off mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add 2 cups powdered sugar.
- Turner mixer on high and whip for 2 minutes until fluffy. Scrape down sides and then turn the mixer to low, slowly adding 2 cups very cold heavy cream until incorporated. Once smooth, turn up to medium-high speed and whip until soft peaks form.
To Assemble:
- Use a sharp knife to divide the cake into 3 even sections. Break one section into approximately 1-inch pieces using your hands and place in the bottom of the trifle dish making one layer. You can press lightly to make layers even. Top the cake layer with ⅓ of the cream cheese whipped cream – you’ll use about 1½ cups per layer. Repeat steps until you have 3 layers each of cake and frosting. Optional: reserve about 1 cup of cake crumbs to sprinkle on top.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD: This can be served immediately or made a day ahead of time. If making ahead, assemble the entire trifle, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to eat. I actually prefer the taste after it’s had a day to sit
STORAGE: The trifle will keep for 2-3 days, covered, in the refrigerator.
TRIFLE DISH: If you don’t have a trifle dish, this can be made in any similar capacity. The trifle dish I used measures 7.5 inches in diameter and is 5 inches deep with a capacity of approximately 120 ounces.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cool time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 mintues
- Category: Trifle


(15 votes, average: 3.93 out of 5)