Friday, April 13, 2012

Carrot Cake


Our Easter dinner dessert this year was carrot cake!


With fresh ingredients and a yummy cream cheese frosting.  


Classic Carrot Cake 
16 servings

for cake
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups grated carrot (approximately 1 lb carrots)
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained (reserve one tablespoon of juice)
1 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
for frosting
1 cup butter, softened
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 pinch of salt



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Whisk together flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. In a separate bowl combine carrots, pineapple, and coconut. Add oil, vanilla, eggs one at a time, and reserved pineapple juice. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix about one minute. Pour cake mix into prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing from pans. For frosting, cream butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Add salt, vanilla and almond extracts. Frost cake and enjoy!