Carrot Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting

By srumbel

This is the carrot cake recipe to end all carrot cake recipes. It’s from the Lion House cookbook, and I have been making it for years. Several of my family members request it each year for their birthday. The cake tastes just as good left in the pan, and covered with cream cheese frosting. Swirl it up into a lovely creation, or serve it right out of the pan. Either way, you are going to be in heaven…….
from jamiecooksitup

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 C sugar
• 1 C oil
• 4 beaten eggs
• 3 C grated carrots
• 2 C flour
• 1 t salt
• 2 t baking soda
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 C raisins
• 1/2 C coconut
• 1/2 C nuts (I usually use almonds)
• Frosting:
• 2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick salted butter
• 5 C powdered sugar

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a mixing bowl combine the sugar and oil and eggs. Mix for about 2 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, mix for 10 seconds to incorporate.
3. In a separate bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. (Not the raisins, coconut and nuts.)
4. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones.
5. Add the coconut, nuts and raisins.
6. Pour batter into 2 greased round or square 9 inch cake pans.
CAUTION: this recipe doesn’t work well in a 9×13 pan. The center has a hard time cooking and will be mushy and fall. You really need to use 2 smaller pans to make it work.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
8. Cool cakes on a wire wrack.
9. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl, for about 2 minutes. You want to get them well blended.
10. Add the powdered sugar and beat another 2 minutes. If the frosting is too thick you can add just a touch of hot water.
11. When the cakes are cool frost and enjoy!