Best Ever Carrot Cake

I love a moist, dense cake and this one is heavenly.  Keep it chilled in the refrigerator and I promise, you won’t be able to stop eating it.  I have children with nut allergies, so instead of making it a triple layer, I doubled it and made another 8x8 pan without nuts for my two girls.

You won’t need to search any further for your favorite carrot cake recipe again.  I promise, this is it.

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups grated carrots

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup raisins, optional
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 heaping TBSP. ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, combine grated carrots and brown sugar. Set aside for 60 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour three 8 inch round cake pans.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Gradually beat in the white sugar, oil and vanilla. Stir in the pineapple. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, stir into the wet mixture until absorbed. Finally stir in the carrot mixture and the walnuts. Pour evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.  Frost with cream cheese frosting.

FROSTING:

1 pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (16oz.) bag powdered sugar (May not use the whole bag, depends on the consistency you prefer.  I only use about 3/4’s of a bag).

Beat cream cheese and butter until whipped smooth.  Add vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until creamy.  Frost cake when entirely cool.  Frosting will melt if the cake is hot.  It’s even better to refrigerate the cake for awhile before frosting.

COCONUT TOPPING:

1 1/2 cups coconut

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

In a saucepan, toast the coconut in butter and brown sugar until caramelized.  Sprinkle on top of cake just before serving.