Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I am sharing with you a secret family recipe. The recipe for my carrot cake. My son John has requested this carrot cake for pretty much his whole life. I have been making it so long that we don't remember when I started, and he is a junior in college now. Now, a few years later, my mom requested that I make it for her birthday every year. And yesterday, my father Jim requested it for his birthday. This recipe seems to be everyone's favorite.  The best part of this recipe is how dense and moist it is, and it is filled with the good stuff-walnuts, pineapple, coconut, and the optional raisins. My mom is Team No-Raisins, and my father-in-law thinks the raisins make the cake. I originally found the recipe from my Gourmet Cookbook, which is the best recipes from the much-loved but no longer Gourmet magazine. I added the Vanilla Bean Project Organic Vanilla Extract to the cake batter and added Vanilla Bean Project Organic Vanilla Bean Paste to the cream cheese frosting.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Source: Gourmet Cookbook

Serves 10 to 12

FOR CAKE

2 cups shredded carrots

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Bean Project Organic Vanilla Extract

1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cup raisin (optional)

FOR FROSTING

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 stick (8 TBSPS) butter

2 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Project Organic Vanilla Bean Paste

Pinch salt (optional)

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar 

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. This is the most important part. Butter and flour the  9 inch cake pans, knocking out excess flour. Shred the carrots on a box grater. 

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda , salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, carrots, pineapple, coconut, walnuts and raisins (if using). Mix the carrot mixture into the flour mixture by hand until well mixed.

Divide batter into two pans and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on a rack for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of each pan and invert layers onto rack to cool completely. 

Make the frosting: Beat together cream cheese, and vanilla with a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and beat until frosting is smooth. 

Place 1 cake layer bottom side up on a cake plate and spread with some frosting. Place remaining cake layer right side up on top and spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.