Years ago I had a party and Shelly brought a carrot cake. Shelly is one of the sweetest, gracious and most fashionable people on the planet but I didn't know she was a baker...not until I tasted her cake. I couldn't believe how wonderful her cake, made with a vegetable, could be! I asked for the recipe, and she happily obliged, copying it out of a book. When I saw the recipe I had to smile, it was from a Susan Branch book, Sweets To The Sweet, which is one of my very favorite baking books and the carrot cake was probably the only thing in the book I had never made!
This past weekend the girl and SIL attended the memorial for the SIL's grandfather, who passed away at the grand age of 104! Think of all he saw in his years on Earth!! Mind-boggling! Anyway, I wanted to take something, and I wanted it to be special and above all, good...and this cake was the perfect thing! (The mister and I had planned to attend this memorial, but that morning the mister woke up with a headache and a tummy ache and just couldn't bring himself to get on a ferry and cross the pond on a BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY! The ONLY sunny day we've had in FOREVER! His timing is SO bad! So we stayed home and the girl, SIL and Max took the carrot cake for me and said it got rave reviews!)
This is a beautiful, tall cake - three layers with a cream cheese frosting in between the layers and toasted coconut on top - it is a show stopper for sure! I have made this cake over and over and it always turns out great with a flavor that can't be beat...I was so sad to see the cake leave, oh, and the girl, SIL and Max, too, that I made another one just for us and it was the perfect ending to our Easter meal. This cake would also make a perfect birthday cake - it's moist and has a wonderful rich crumb, plus it's full of nuts and fruit and it defintely gets 5 dangs on the ol' meter! Coma worthy for sure!
Carrot Cake - Adapted Slightly From Sweets To The Sweet by Susan Branch (and shared with me by Shelly Jones)
4 eggs, well beaten
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
3 cups finely grated carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Frosting recipe below
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans. Set out 1/2 cup butter, and 1 (8 o.z) package cream cheese to soften (for frosting). Put pineapple in sieve to drain while you begin to mix the batter. Beat eggs in large bowl of electric mixer. Add sugars and beat till light and fluffy. Add oil and mix well. Put in the dry ingredients and beat until just barely smooth. Remove blade from mixer and by hand, stir in remaining ingredients. Pour batter into greased and floured pans. Bake in 325 degree oven for 40 minutes or until knife comes out clean when inserted in center of cake. Cool completely, then frost.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 teaspoons milk
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted
Mix all ingredients together and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes on high. Frost between layers of cake and on top. Top with toasted coconut. (Frost sides if desired.)