Mineshaft Carrot Cake

knitaholic's Note:

For those of you in Wisconsin that know Hartford well, this is the recipe they use at the Mineshaft Restaurant for their carrot cake. It's the only one I'll make.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 20 ounces crushed pineapple , undrained
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1⁄3; cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 cup raisins

Frosting

• ¾ lb butter , softened
• 1 -1 ½ lb powdered sugar
• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Beat well.
3. In another large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture alternately with pineapple; mix well.
5. Add carrots, raisins, coconut, and walnuts to already mixed cake batter.
6. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 1 hour or until cake tests done.
7. For frosting, combine butter, vanilla, cream cheese, and enough powdered sugar to thicken slightly; beat well.
8. Thin frosting, if needed, by adding milk or cream, a tablespoonful at a time.
9. Beat until smooth.