Auntie Gail's Carrot Cake

My Aunt Gail Anderson trialed many carrot cake recipes and proclaimed this as "the best". I am publishing this in its original format. This recipe makes a lot of butermilk glaze - I usually end up only using about half of it! I often make this in a 9x12 pan, but have also made it as a layer cake for birthdays.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 c flour
  • 2 tsp soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 c buttermilk
  • 3/4 c canola oil
  • 2 c sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 c grated carrots
  • 1 c sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 c copped walnuts
  • 1-398 ml can of crushed pineapple well drained

Icing

Buttermilk Glaze

  • 1 c sugar
  • 1/2 tsp soda
  • 1/2 c buttermilk
  • 1/2 c butter
  • 1 tbsp corn syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT for the vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

Cream Cheese Icing

  • 1/2 c butter (softened to room temperature)
  • 250 g package of cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 c icing sugar
  • Milk

Cream the butter and cream cheese, add the vanilla and then the icing sugar. Add milk 1 tbsp at time until the desired consistency is reached.

SAUCE

toppings

dressing

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Cake

  1. Beat the eggs, the add the sugar, buttermilk and vanilla.
  2. Mix the flour, soda, cinnamon and salt.
  3. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir until just combined.
  4. Mix in the carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple.
  5. Pour into greased pans (one 9x12 or 2 layer cake pans). Line the pans with parchment for a layer cake.
  6. Bake at 350° F for 50-55 minutes or until tester comes out clean (less baking time required for layer cake pans).

TIPS & HINTS

If you are making this for Ted Bock, omit the pineapple. There is no other adjustment to the recipe required with this omission.

I froze this cake WITHOUT glaze or icing and glazed and iced it the day I served it. For a layer cake: thaw the cake, cut each layer horizontally, brush each of the four layers with hot glaze then ice it.

For a four layer cake, you may want to make 1.5 times the icing recipe.