Excellent Carrot Cake

MizzNezz's Note:

Chock full of flavor, this is the best carrot cake! It tastes even better the next day after the flavors meld. A tad more time consuming than the average carrot cake, but well worth it!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs , beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple , drained
• 1 ¼ cups coconut

Buttermilk Glaze

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup butter
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
• ½ cup butter or ½ cup solid margarine , softened
• 1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar , sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine first 5 ingredients; beat well.
2. Mix flour, soda, salt and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture; stir well.
3. Add carrots, walnuts, pineapple and coconut; stir well.
4. Pour batter into greased and floured 13x9 baking pan.
5. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes, or until pick comes out clean.
6. Buttermilk Glaze: Combine first 5 ingredients in large saucepan.
7. Bring to a boil; cook 4 minutes on medium heat.
8. Remove from heat; add vanilla.
9. Pour buttermilk glaze over warm cake; let cake cool.
10. Cream Cheese Frosting: Mix cream cheese and butter; beat until smooth.
11. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
12. Stir in vanilla.
13. Spread cream cheese frosting on top of cooled cake.

Reviews

[Natalie Z]

This carrot cake is by far better than any I have ever tasted. I agree with Jeff, it is worth at least 100 stars. The cake is moist and tender and the buttermilk glaze adds another layer of richness. The cream cheese frosting is sweet and sooo creamy. Talk about a sugar high--wowie!! Thanks MizzNezz, you have really outdone yourself.

[Pianolady]

Wow!! Not enough starts in the universe to rate this one. Carrot cake is my husband's favorite, so I chose to make this my first recipe tried from zaar... he is still floating somewhere close to the ceiling! I thought there were so many recipes here I might have to try dozens of the same thing to find the one we like best... believe me, this is the ONLY carrot cake recipe we will try! Easier to make that I thought from the description. Flavors of ingredients blend so beautifully, and the cake stays so wonderfully moist!! To us, the walnuts were integral, and next time I think I will even chop them even finer so they are in every morsel of the cake. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[Jeff Hixson]

If I could give this 100 stars I would, This is by far one of the best you have come up with so far Inez!!It does take a little extra time but is WELL worth it!!