Show-Stopper Carrot Cake

Not only am I going to share my Show-Stopper Carrot Cake recipe today, I’m also going to let you in on a few favorite tips for cake making that just might turn you into a  Cake Baking Pro!

Baking cakes takes a little patience but if you make the cake layers ahead of time and freeze them, you can break up the process into doable portions so you don’t feel overwhelmed with being in the kitchen for five hours baking AND decorating the cake.

I first found this recipe in our local Indiana newspaper in 1989.  This recipe won an award in the paper, so I knew I had to try it since Carrot cake is my husband’s favorite cake! I made it for his birthday that year and many times after that.  The rest of my family was a little disappointed that we weren’t having chocolate cake, but they all were a surprised at how much they enjoyed it!  I think they’re converted!

 

Here’s the recipe:

Carrot Cake

Ingredients

3 Cups flour
3 Cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbl Baking soda
1 tbl cinnamon
1 1/2 Cups corn oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbl vanilla
1 1/2 Cups walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 Cups shredded coconut
1 1/3 Cups pureed, cooked carrots
3/4 Cup drained crushed pineapple
Cream Cheese frosting
1/2  Cup ground walnuts for dusting sides

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and line with wax paper 3 eight-inch cake pans. (Note, this is my change on the recipe.  The recipe call for two pans, but they were too full and took a long time to bake.  Do what you like, though!)

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and oil.  Beat well.  Fold in walnuts, carrots, coconut and pineapple.

Pour batter into the prepared pans.  Set pans on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until edges have pulled away from sides and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool completely.

Fill cake and frost sides with cream cheese frosting.  Dust sides with ground walnuts.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream 8 oz. softened cream cheese and one stick of softened butter.  Slowly sift in 3 cups Confectioners sugar.  Add 1 tsp vanilla. Blend until completely smooth.

 

 

You could add walnuts just half way up, but since my husband loves nuts so much, I went all the way tot the top!!

 

Yum, yum, yum!  If you have a special person or a special event, you need to try this winning recipe!!

Who else is a Carrot Cake fan?