Carrot Cup/Cake

Apart from the frosting, what you really need to nail in Carrot Cake is the moisture level.  The worst thing you could get is a dry piece of cake.  Luckily, I have a recipe that will knock your socks off on both of those levels!  References upon request.

Carrot Cake: (shown here in "cup" form)

- 2 cups flour

- 2 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 3 eggs

- 2 cups sugar

- 3/4 cup veggie oil

- 3/4 cup buttermilk

- splash vanilla

- 2 cups grated carrots

- 8 oz canned crushed pineapple, drained

- 3 1/2 oz flaked coconut

- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 9 inch cake pans - I always add in a bottom of parchment paper for this recipe. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Set aside.  In a medium size bowl beat eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Whisk in flour mixture into egg mixture.  Fold in grated carrot, pineapple, and coconut.  Be sure to squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the canned pineapple.  Also, I usually don't put in the pecans - it feels more like fruit cake to me.   Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

- 1 package cream cheese, room temperature

- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

- about 1/2 cup powdered sugar - but really to taste

- vanilla

- 2 cups heavy cream

Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla.  Taste test for sugar.  I don't like super sweet frosting, so I usually put in less than a recipe calls for.

In a separate bowl beat heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Carefully fold in whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.  Tada!

Enjoy!