Ultimate Carrot Cake

I love a good carrot cake! And this one did not disappoint. Next time I make it the only change I would make is to use pecans and not walnuts. 

 submitted by Michelle

from It's A Keeper

Ultimate Carrot Cake

Ingredients 

Cake 

2 cups flour 

2 teaspoon baking soda 

½ teaspoon salt 

2 teaspoon cinnamon 

3 eggs 

2 cups sugar 

¾ cup vegetable oil 

¾ cup buttermilk 

2 teaspoon vanilla 

2 cups grated carrot 

8 ounces can crushed pineapple, drained 

3.5 ounces can flaked coconut 

1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped 

Buttermilk Glaze 

1 cup sugar 

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda 

½ cup buttermilk 

½ cup butter or margarine 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Cream Cheese Frosting 

½ cup butter, softened 

8 ounces package cream cheese, softened 

16 ounces package powdered sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Cook Instructions 

Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside. Stir together first 4 ingredients. Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into prepared cake pans. 

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. During the last 5 minutes of baking, begin making glaze. Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. 

Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. 

To make the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended; stir in vanilla. Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. 

This cake is best if you refrigerate it for at least 4-6 hours before serving.