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1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch cake pans with butter and then flour them.
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2
Mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and set aside.
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3
In a separate larger bowl, beat the butter with sugars until fluffy and then add the eggs in one at a time, mixing in between. Add in 1/2 of the flour mixture and beat well. Add in the buttermilk and beat well scraping down the sides of the pan. Add in the remaining flour mixture and beat until well blended. (try not to overbeat)
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4
Stir in the crushed pineapple, carrots, coconut, and pistachios.
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5
Divide the batter evenly among the 3 baking pans and bake for about 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure cake is cooked through. Set aside and cool completely before frosting. I usually make the cakes a day ahead and freeze them so they are easier to frost.
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6
For the frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add in the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup. Beat until well blended.
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7
To assemble: Place a little frosting in the center of a cake stand and top it with one layer of your carrot cake. This will help to secure you cake to the stand. Frost the top of the first layer and then repeat the process with the remaining layers until you have a stack of three. Next frost the sides of the cake. Don't fret if it isn't coming out super smooth. The imperfections make it look homemade and delicious! For the top of the cake, I simply took my cake spatula and spread the frosting out from the center to create the rounded design on the top.
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8
For the garnish: I pulse 1/4 cup of pistachios in a food processor and used them to dust the sides and top of the cake. I used an additional 1/4 cup of whole pistachios to make a border along the bottom of the cake.
