This is another recipe from Nell Baines. Everyone loves Nell’s cakes. They are “cooked- just- right” culinary delights. They are one of those “fight-over-the-last-piece” items.
CAKE
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
¾ cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (1-pound) bag carrots, peeled and grated
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped pecans 1 cup flaked coconut
½ cup raisins
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
½ cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese at room temperature
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350°. For the cake, grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with wax paper. Grease and flour the wax paper. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. In another large bowl mix the granulated sugar and the brown sugar. Stir the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla into the sugar mixture. Mix well. Pour the flour mixture into the sugar mixture. Add the carrots, pineapple, pecans, coconut, and raisins. Stir these just until well blended. Pour the batter equally into the three cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10 minutes. Loosen the layers from the edges of the pans and invert onto wire racks. Peel off the wax paper. Cool completely.
For the frosting, in a large mixing bowl beat the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, mixing well to a smooth consistency.
YIELD: 1 (3-LAYER) CAKE