Carrot Cake for Everyone!

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This is the cake that my dad and Laurianna both wanted for their birthdays last year. Which meant that when Rick's birthday rolled around two weeks later, I was all carrot-caked out. Because three carrot cakes in less than a month seemed a bit much to me.

But after making it again this week for my Dad's birthday, I should have just caved and made it. Because it really is one of the best carrot cakes ~ along with wonderful lick-the-bowl-clean cream cheese icing.

Best-Ever Carrot Cake

Cake Ingredients:

~ 2 cups flour (I use whole wheat)
~ 2 tsp. baking soda
~ 1/2 tsp. salt
~ 2 tsp cinnamon
~ 3 eggs
~ 2 cups sugar
~ 3/4 cup oil
~ 3/4 buttermilk
~ 2 tsp. vanilla extract
~ 2 cups grated carrot
~ 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
~ 4 oz. flaked coconut
~ 1 cup chopped pecans

1. Mix flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together.

2. Beat eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla together until smooth. Add in flour mixture, beating until blended.

3. Stir in carrot, pineapple, coconut and pecans.

4. Pour batter into three 9 inch round pans {greased and lined with wax paper}.

5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or til toothpick comes out clean.

6. Prepare buttermilk glaze below to drizzle over cake layers when baked.

7. Cool cakes in pan for 10-15 minutes and then remove from pans. Cool with glazed side up on wire racks.

8. Frost with Cream Cheese Icing {see recipe below}.

Buttermilk Glaze

~ 1 cup sugar
~ 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
~ 1/2 cup buttermilk
~ 1/2 cup butter
~ 1 tbsp. light corn syrup
~ 1 tsp vanilla

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Boil 4 minutes, stirring constantly until glaze is golden. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Cool slightly.

Drizzle over warm cake layers.

Cream Cheese Icing

Icing Ingredients:

~ 11 oz. of cream cheese, softened
~ 3/4 cup butter, softened
~ 16 oz. powdered sugar
~ 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Beat cream cheese and butter together at medium speed until smooth.

2. Gradually add powdered sugar at a low speed until icing is light and fluffy.

3. Stir in vanilla.