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Carrot Cake

Source of Recipe

The Silver Palate Cookbook


List of Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
3 cups white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups corn oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups walnuts, chopped
1 ½ cups shredded coconut
1 1/3 cups puréed cooked carrots
¾ cup drained crushed pineapple

For Cream Cheese Frosting:

The cookbook says that this makes enough frosting for a 2-layer cake. I don’t agree – it’s just enough for a one layer cake, but then again, I’m a sucker for frosting. You may not use all the powdered sugar. Adjust it according to the desired consistency.

8 ounces cream cheese
6 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
juice of ½ lemon (optional)





Recipe

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 9-inch springform pans.

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in walnuts, coconut, carrots, and pineapple.

Pour batter into the prepared pans. Set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour, until edges have pulled away from sides (mine didn’t) and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a cake rack completely before frosting.


To make the frosting:
With an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter.

Slowly sift in powdered sugar and continue beating until fully incorporated. Mixture should be free of lumps.

Stir in vanilla, and the lemon juice if using.