Carrot Cake

Due to the high demand for the recipe for the carrot cake I raved about, I thought I would post it!

Thanks, Alisa! (who doesn't read my blog...)

CARROT CAKE

3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 ½ cups corn oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp vanilla
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
1 ½ cups shredded coconut
1 11/3 cups pureed cooked carrots (approx. 6 med. carrots – blender works fine)
¾ cups drained, crushed pineapple (1 20 oz. can)
1 ½ cups raisins coated in 1 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2, 10-inch layer cake pans lined with wax paper.

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. Add oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in walnuts, coconut, carrots and pineapple. Fold in raisins.

Pour batter into pans. Set on middle rack and bake 40-50 minutes or until edges have pulled away from sides and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool on rack for 3 hours (or overnight). Fill cake and frost sides with Cream Cheese Frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 oz. cream cheese at room temp.
6 tbsp butter at room temp.
3 cups powdered sugar (I sometimes need a bit more)
1 tsp vanilla
juice of ½ lemon (approx. 1 tsp.)

Cream together cream cheese and butter.
Slowly sift in powdered sugar and continue beating until fully mixed. Mixture should be free of lumps. Stir in vanilla and lemon juice.