The Ultimate Carrot Cake

By srumbel

It starts with three layers of delectable cake, chocked full of carrots and spices. Drool. The cake is then soaked in a warm buttermilk glaze. It just drinks up all of the sweet, yumminess. If that’s not enough to send you over the edge, the entire cake is enveloped in a layer of luscious cream cheese frosting. Oooh, that just gave me chills! It is rich. And decadent. And indulgent. And moist.
from ladybehindthecurtain.com

Ingredients

• Cake
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups grated carrot
• 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 (3 1/2-ounce) can flaked coconut
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
• Buttermilk Glaze
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper.
Set pans aside. 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 and next 3 ingredients.
Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
During the last 5 minutes of baking, begin making glaze.
Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes.
Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
To make the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended; stir in vanilla.
Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.