Deluxe Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

This carrot cake recipe is an adaptation of the Deluxe Carrot Cake found in the cookbook, Applehood and Motherpie. It is moist, perfectly-spiced and made with lots of fresh carrots and a cream cheese frosting with a coconut garnish that is as pretty as it is tasty.

Course Breakfast and Baked Goods

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Total Time 50

Servings -Layer 8-inch Round Cake

Calories 659kcal

Author Jennifer Morrisey

Ingredients

Carrot Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 eggs
1 cup cooking oil
4 cups grated raw carrots about 1 pound
¾ cup chopped nuts

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups coconut
2 cups two 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Carrot Cake

Heat the oven to 350° degrees Fahrenheit (176 C). Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper then grease the top of the paper. Or, grease and flour the bottom and sides of pans.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Slowly beat in oil.
Add the flour mixture slowly to the wet ingredients. Mixing until smooth.
Mix in the carrots and nuts.
Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake until the tops of the cake layers are springy when touched and when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes.
Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks, peel off parchment paper and cool completely.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium to medium low heat. Add coconut and stir with a wooden spoon constantly until golden brown. Remove from heat, and spread on a paper towel to cool.
Combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat until well blended and smooth.
Add confectioner's sugar, ½ a cup at a time. After each cup has been incorporated, turn the mixer onto the highest speed setting and for about 10 seconds to lighten the frosting.
To frost the cake, place the first cake on your serving platter, add a large scoop of frosting on top of it, and spread the frosting so that it covers the cake evenly and extends a bit over the edges. Repeat with the second and third layers of the cake. Then use the remainder of the frosting to frost all around the side edges and the top of the cake. Sprinkle the frosted cake with toasted coconut.

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