Carrot Cake

Since it's Friday and the first day of Spring, I decided we should celebrate with cake!  I made this super moist, rich carrot cake that includes pineapple and coconut. What?  Well, let's not stop there…it also has a buttermilk glaze and it topped off with a sour cheese icing.  With every bite of this cake you can taste the sweet pineapple along with tender carrot all wrapped up in delicious cake.

I hope that you'll take some time this weekend to celebrate spring no matter what the weather is in your part of the world. It's been a long, nasty winter and I think we all deserve a sweet treat so, I'm grabbing a big slice of carrot cake and a cup of coffee ~ cheers friends!

Carrot Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs - room temperature
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup butter milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated carrot
1 8-oz can crushed pineapple - drained
1/3 cup flaked coconut

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly grease and flour a bundt pan.  
• Stir together first 4 ingredients.
• Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
• Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
• Fold in carrot, pineapple and coconut.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
• Drizzle buttermilk glaze over cake and cool in pan for 15 minutes.
• Gently remove cake from pan and continue to cool on wire rack.
• Pour cream cheese icing over cake.  Slice and serve.

Buttermilk Drizzle

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup butter

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large heavy bottom pot at med-high heat. 
• Cook, stirring often for 4 minutes.
• Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.

Sour Cream Icing

4 tablespoons butter - softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla1/2 teaspoon lemon juice1/4 teaspoon salt2 2/4 cups confectioners sugar

• Using a hand mixer, cream butter, sour cream, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth.

• Gradually add confectioners sugar.

• Add salt and mix until smooth.

• Pour icing around top of cake allowing it to run down the sides.

Original recipe from Southern Living, October 1997