The Healthy My Ass Cookbook

Best Carrot Cake Ever

I hate to admit this is better than my Aunt Arlene's and probably the Best Ever.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Line three 9-inch round cake pans with wax paper.  Lightly grease and flour the wax paper and place into the bottom of the pans greased side up.  Set pans aside.  See Notes.  Combine the Flour, Baking Soda, Cinnamon and Salt and set aside.  Peel and shred the Carrots, measure and set aside.  Drain the Pineapple and if necessary, coarsely chop the Pecans and measure along with the Coconut.

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Beat the Eggs in a large bowl.  Add the Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Buttermilk and Vanilla and continue to beat until smooth.  Add the flour mixture and beat at low speed until blended.  Fold in the carrots, pineapple, coconut and pecans.  Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans, about 2&1/3 - 2&1/2 cups per pan.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Meanwhile prepare the Buttermilk Glaze so it is ready when the cake is done baking.

When the cake is done, remove from the oven, place on wire cooling racks, drizzle the glaze evenly over each of the three layers, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup per layer.  Let them cool in their pans on the racks for 15 minutes.  Run a spatula around each pan to loosen the cake from the sides of the pans.  Flip each pan over onto a spare rack, quickly remove the wax paper and flip the cake back over onto the original rack with the glazed side once again up.  Cool completely on their racks.

Once completely cooled, prepare the Cream Cheese Icing.  Place the bottom layer, glazed side up onto a cake plate.  Spread 1/3 of the icing, about 1 cup, on top evenly to the edge.  Repeat with the middle layer, glazed side up and finish with the top layer.

Notes:

Do not skip the wax paper even if you use non-stick pans unless you omit the Buttermilk Glaze which I do not recommend.

I do not recommend icing the sides of the cake as it is plenty sweet as is and certainly doesn't need any more calories per serving.  If you do, you will need at least 1&1/2 to 2 times the amount of Cream Cheese Icing.

Most say refrigeration is not necessary but agree it will keep longer.  Regardless, all agree it tastes best at room temperature.

Can also be baked in a greased and floured 13x9" pan, without the wax paper.  Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, then cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, and bake for 13 more minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean.  Glaze, cool completely and spread the icing over the top.  Serve from the pan.