Carrot Cake!


*Enter the giveaway for the jewelry frame here, it ends Friday!
As I have mentioned each Wednesday, Sean and I belong to a couples' bible study and I bake something sweet as a treat for our study each week. Last week, I had a special request, carrot cake for a 30th birthday for someone in our bible study. It was his favorite type of cake. I wasn't expecting carrot cake to be honest and I think this was the first carrot cake I have ever made so I was up to the challenge. The results are excellent my friends! If you want a great carrot cake, use this recipe. I even had comments after eating the cake such as, this is best carrot cake I have ever eaten, so seriously folks made this cake. I didn't post this recipe last week because my father-in-law graciously donated a legit camera to me, more than just my normal point and shoot. I didn't have the right cable to connect the camera to retrieve the photos. Now I do and the quality of my photos I hope you will notice are a whole lot better.

First, gather together your ingredients. For the carrot cake, you need: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 3 eggs, 2 cups white sugar, 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 3/4 cup buttermilk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 cups grated carrot, 1 can 8 ox. crushed pineapple, drained, 3 1/2 ounce flaked coconut, 1 cup chopped pecans or walnut. 
For the buttermilk glaze: 1/2 cup white sugar, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1/4 butter, 1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

For the cream cheese frosting, 3/4 cup butter, softened, 11 oz. cream cheese, softened, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

The recipe calls for 3 layers of cake but I managed to do just 2 layers. Line your 9 in. cake pan with parchment paper, and grease and flour the parchment paper circles.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
In your mixing bowl, add the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract.



 Beat these ingredients together well. Add into your mixing bowl the flour, the baking soda 
and ground cinnamon. 



Fold the grated carrots, crushed pineapple, coconut and nuts into the mixing bowl. 


Mix all the ingredients very well. Divide the batter equally into the baking pans. 


Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 
While the cake is baking, make your buttermilk glaze because once the cake comes out of the oven, you will drizzle the glaze onto it. 
To make the buttermilk glaze in a sauce pan, add the sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, 
butter and corn syrup.


 Cook the ingredients until they come to a boil continually stirring the glaze. Once you reach a boil, remove your saucepan from the heat and add in the vanilla and stir completely. 
When your cake are completely baked, pull them out of the oven and drizzle the glaze over the cakes while they are still in the tin. 



When the cakes are completely cool, remove them from the pans and then ready to frost them!
To make the frosting, cream the butter. 
Then add in the cream cheese until the two ingredients are creamy. 


Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and then give the ingredients a good whipping!


Frost the bottom layer cake, then add the other layer on top and completely frost the entire cake. 


Then serve, eat and enjoy!

29 comments:

Lindsay [Elle Elizabeth] said...

Mmmm carrot cake is so yummy!

BeckyJo606 said...

I love a good carrot cake! The cream cheese icing just looks delicious!! :)

marie said...

I love carrot cake! Must be the glaze that sets it apart, I've never seen that step but it looks absolutely wonderful. Enjoy the new camera, totally exciting.

Unknown said...

I adore carrot cake but I've never made one! Not sure why but I'm going to have to try it! Congrats on the new camera!

Darby Hawley said...

Yay for a new camera! I think I'd like to join your bible study, not just for the great growth of my heart, but also for my belly ;-_ This looks delicious! And you know, I don't think I've ever made a carrot cake before; I've got to try this! Thanks for sharing it Meg!

Mal said...

I love carrot cake, I've never tried a glaze on it in addition to frosting, but love that idea! I'll have to try it out soon, yum!

Mal @ The Chic Geek

Unknown said...

yummy! i love carrot cake!

Leslie said...

Yum! Looks delicious!

Ruthie Hart said...

I LOVEEEEEEEE carrot cake!

Makaila said...

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.. my FAV!

Carol {Everyday Delights} said...

Yum yum! I've never tried baking a carrot cake, it's always been kind of intimidating to me. But yours looks fantastic and I bet it was the hit of Bible study!

Alexa said...

The photos look great Meg and I've never tried carrot cake...but now perhaps I will! :)

Tiffany said...

Mmmmm! I love carrot cake! I have never made it before, but this looks and sounds great!

Jennifer @ Delightfully Noted said...

Mmmmm....carrot cake. I am having a sweet craving as we speak! (or as I type I guess I should say)

Carrie said...

Carrot cake is one of my favorites! (German chocolate and red velvet are up there too). I've never made one myself though. I need to try sometime!

Stephanie @ SKWestDesigns said...

The glaze is a new twist on the more traditional carrot cake. I like your idea for it.

http://skwestdesigns.blogspot.com/

CALLIE said...

There you go making me hungry again!!! Yummy

Tiffany said...

my husband LOVES carrot cake! I will have to try this!

Lyndsey said...

I wish I liked carrot cake! lol looks good though, good job!

Leah said...

yummmm!!!I'm not a big on cake but I really like carrot cake!! I made a carrot cake with maple cream cheese frosting for thanksgiving last year. it was soo delicious!! :)

-LEAH

thecuckoosnestblog.com

Val said...

Carrot Cake is my all-time favorite cake. If I see it on any menu....chances are it's mine!!!

Katie {Miss Dixie} said...

I wont lie, my favorite part of carrot cake is usually the frosting :) Yours looks so yummy, just in time for Easter!

Amy {Fresh and Fancy} said...

This looks so yummy Meg! Carrot cake is one of my favorites!!

Sarah said...

Oh wow, I wouldn't mind having a cake right about now. That looks amazing. I remember trying this kind of recipe once and being so pleasantly pleased. Thanks for sharing!

- Sarah
http://agirlintransit.blogspot.com

Head to Toe Chic said...

This looks amazing and now I'm hungry! haha. I think I need to try this recipe :)

xo,
Angela
headtotoechic.blogspot.com

momto8 said...

yum...thanks!! A great recipe.

Alyx said...

That looks soooo delicious!!

Stephanie said...

Carrot cake is my FAVORITE cake! It's what we cut at our wedding! :) YUM!

Hilliary Meisner said...

Carrot cake is one of my all time favorite cakes! I used to ask for carrot cake every year on my birthday because I loved the carrots made from icing! I need to make my own carrot cake! Thanks for sharing this recipe meg, looks wonderful as always!