To Die For Carrot Cake

By gmasusan

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 1 /2 tsp salt
• One1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce or oil, this is what my Nana used2 cups granulated sugar3 eggs room temperature
• Two2 cups all-purpose flour1 tsp baking soda1 1/2 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp salt1 tsp cinnamon
• Three2 cups grated carrots1 cup shredded sweetened coconut1 cup chopped nuts optional1 tsp vanilla1 cup Dole crushed pineapple not drained! {use the pineapple in JUICE not syrup}
• Cream Cheese Frosting:1/2 cup butter softened8 oz cream cheese softened1 tsp vanilla1 lb powdered sugartop with toasted pecans or coconut if desired
• 1 /2 cup butter softened8 oz cream cheese softened1 tsp vanilla1 lb powdered sugartop with toasted pecans or coconut if desired

Details

Adapted from momontimeout.com

Preparation

Step 1

InstructionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine #1 ingredients. Add #2 ingredients. Stir in #3 ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 , two 9-inch pans or three 8-inch pans. (The cake is very moist so cutting parchment for the bottom of your pans will ensure they don't stick. I prefer to use the non-stick baking spray that has the flour in it for easy cake removal.) Bake for 35-40 minutes for the 9x13 and 9-inch pans and 25-30 minutes for the 8-inch pans. You're looking for an inserted toothpick to come out clean. Let cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely. For the frosting:Beat the butter and cream cheese until nice and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until nice and smooth. Invert the cake onto a cake plate or stand. Apply a generous dollop of frosting and spread... Gently place the second cake on top and continue frosting. Repeat with the third cake if you made three. Refrigerate for an hour before serving for best results.