Ginger-Frosted Pineapple Cake

I first found this recipe a few years ago, in the Cooking by Moonlight book by Karri Ann Allrich. She had mentioned the ease in which it came together, and I remember being impressed at how true that sentence was. In fact, outside of the frosting, you don't even need the electric mixer; it's all by hand. And, as much as I love the Holy Grail... oh, sorry. The Kitchen Aid mixer as its known to the rest of the world ;) But, yes, sometimes it's nice to mix everything by hand. (Just don't tell that to HG, okay?) ;)

The first time I made this, I just did regular cream cheese frosting. This time around, I added the ginger, and was quite pleased. It's a nice contrast in taste. And my wonderful guinea pigs at work were all happy, too. :)

Oh, and definitely use the crushed pineapple. I didn't have any (nor did Target), so I just went with the chunks. Still good, but the crushed would have been better.



Ingredients:
Cake:
2 large eggs
1 (20-oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

Gingered Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 to 3 cups confectioners' sugar
¼ tsp. ground ginger
4 to 5 pieces candied ginger, chopped (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a fork until they are light and fluffy. Add the undrained crushed pineapple, and mix well by hand. Add the flour, sugars, and baking soda, and gently beat with a fork. Do not overheat. Fold in the chopped nuts.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan, then frost.

Gingered Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, until desired consistancy is achieved. Add the ground ginger, and beat until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the candied ginger by hand and stir well.