Pineapple Carrot Cake

This is my favorite cake. The recipe comes from one of my mom's first ward cookbooks...sorry, I don't know who's it is. I won't go back to carrot cake without the pineapple...it makes the cake moist and adds a tiny bit of extra sweetness. I add extra nuts to mine...YUM! This is another one to make ahead in late spring to put in the freezer for summer get togethers.

Pineapple Carrot Cake
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce (or oil)
3 eggs
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups carrots, grated
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup nuts, chopped (I like walnuts or pecans)
Grease and flour a 9x13" cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the sugar and applesauce. Add the eggs & beat well. Add pineapple and vanilla. Mix, then add the flour, salt, baking powder, & cinnamon. Mix well. Add the carrots. Mix well. Stir in the nuts. Pour into the cake pan and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool & frost.

Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

FREEZE
The cake can be frozen without the frosting. Cut into squares, (or bake in cupcake papers) and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze about 1 hour. Move to ziptop freezer bag, label and date. To thaw...move from freezer bag to a tupperware with a lid and leave on the counter for a couple of hours. Frost.