Super Rich & Divinely Moist Carrot Cake

Yesterday was my 27th birthday - yay me! - and I decided to bake my own 'birthday cake'. The last time I had a birthday cake was...I can't even remember!!! Also, I wasn't interested in all the fluff professional cakes had ie prettily decorated icing. I just wanted a good old-fashioned carrot cake. After scarring the internet for a couple days I put the following recipe together. It is ridiculously delicious so if you have some time on your hand, feel free to experiment x

Super Rich & Divinely Moist Carrot Cake
Tweaked by Nekisha CD Lewis

INGREDIENTS

Cake

2 cups all purpose flour OR 2 cups & 4 Tbsp cake flour* [I used cake flour]

2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 eggs
3/4 cups vegetable oil

3/4 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups sugar [I made mine with 2 cups as per original recipe but it didn't need so much sugar]
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups shredded carrots [I used 3 cups in mine and it was kinda overkill! Original recipe called for 2 cups]

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup raisins [My friends all seemed to hate raisins so I will eliminate next time around]
1 1/2 cups walnuts, roughly chopped [I originally used 1 cup but they are sooo good I was told to add more next time]

*Cake flour gives your cake a much better flavor. Not just this cake, but all cakes in general. 1 cup of all purpose flour equals 1 cup and 2 Tbs cake flour. 

Buttermilk Glaze www.myrecipes.com

1 cup sugar

1 ½ tsps baking soda

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup butter or magarine

1 Tbsp light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting www.myrecipes.com

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 8oz package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 3oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Make the cake first.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3# 9” round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside. If using nonstick cake pans, simply grease and flour.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a bowl.

In separate bowl, beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar and vanilla extract at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. 

 

Add the flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. 

Using a wooden spoon, fold in carrots, coconut, pineapple, raisins and walnut.

 

Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not over-bake.

Make buttermilk glaze

Bring the sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter and light corn syrup to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Drizzle glaze evenly over each cake when removed from over. Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks 15 mins. Remove cake from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Glazed

Cooling

Make the frosting

Beat the butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy and completely blended. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. 

Spread cream cheese frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake when completely cool.

May be decorated with any remaining chopped nuts sprinkled on top.

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Reading it sounds like a lot of work but it was so easy and quite honestly - FUN!