Shelly's Recipe

CARROT CAKE WITH CINNAMON-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Category: Cakes

Cake
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda and ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk and vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups coarsely grated peeled carrots
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
8 oz crushed pineapple in juice
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Glaze
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk and butter
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting
12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 lb powdered sugar
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 13x9 baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar, eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Beat in dry ingredients. Fold in carrots, coconut, pineapple with juice, and pecans. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake 30 minutes. Tent loosely with foil. Continue to bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean (about 15 minutes longer). Remove from oven. Using skewer, poke deep holes all over cake.

For glaze, bring sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup and baking soda to boil in large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until glaze is deep amber, whisking often. Remove from heat and mix in vanilla. Spoon hot glaze evenly over warm cake. Cool cake completely in pan.

For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Beat until blended. Spread frosting over cooled cake in pan.