Carrot Cake

Recipe by Tania Burr

This carrot cake is super simple and so moist. I think the pineapple is the key. It goes perfectly with cream cheese icing!

2 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup buttermilk (milk + 1 Tbsp vinegar)
1-1/2 cups brown sugar (or white or cane) 
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup crushed pineapple
½ cup coconut
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Mix all dry ingredients including carrots and coconut in a large bowl. Beat eggs in a smaller bowl and add in all wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients while mixing. Ensure that mixture is well mixed but not over mixed otherwise it won’t rise well. Pour batter into a 9 x 13 pan or bake in two round 8 inch layers. 9x 13 pan will take about 45 minutes. 8 inch rounds take about 30. Cake is ready when you can touch the top and it bounces back. When cake is cooled, spread with cream cheese icing (see below). Cake freezes well (but often gets completely eaten before it makes it there) 

Cream Cheese Icing: The best part! 
½ cup butter (room temp)
4 oz cream cheese (room temp) 
2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla. 

Whip together butter and cream cheese with electric beaters. Add in vanilla. Sift icing sugar in slowly to avoid clumps. If it isn’t think enough you can continue adding sugar as well as a bit of flower to stiffen the icing.