CLASSIC CARROT CAKE RECIPE

Hot Fudge Sundays are my favorite dessert. I am pretty sure all you fellow chocoholics can understand. Then comes Coconut Almond Bread Pudding, Blueberry Cheesecake,  Lemon Cheesecake and just more cheesecake!   Regular old cake is pretty far down on my list of favorites,but at the top of the cake list is carrot cake. (I admit, I have an ongoing love affair with nuts and coconut).

The problem is that until now I have not  been able to create a carrot cake that turned out just right. And being the Type A personality that I am,  that just didn’t sit right with me.

Classic Carrot Cake is something I have made over the years with mixed results. Sometimes it turned out dry and sometimes the carrots still tasted raw. My kids would accuse me of trying to hide “vegetables” in their cake! So anytime I would see a new recipe for carrot cake I got excited. Would this be the one that turns out just right? Well, here it is.

The Ultimate Classic Carrot Cake.  It has every classic ingredient in it, but uses oil to keep it moist. And I think the secret ingredient is using crushed pineapple that has been drained, but left just a little wet.  This recipe was developed based on a Carrot and Pineapple Cake  that was made by Ina Garten on   Barefoot Contessa.

INGREDIENTS

• For the Cake:
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
• 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 pound carrots, grated (about 4 cups) 1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained but not dry 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• To make the frosting:
• 12 oz cream cheese, ( 1-1/2 8 oz packages) at room temperature
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, (2 sticks) at room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners sugar ( add more if frosting is too thin)
• Decoration:
• 1/2 cup toasted flaked coconut

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line the pans with parchment paper, then butter the paper and flour the pans. Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale yellow. Add the vanilla and mix until just blended. In another bowl, sift together 2-1/2 cups flour, the pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just blended. In a medium bowl, toss the raisins and walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour , then add in the carrots, coconut and pineapple. Add to the batter and mix well.
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