Southern Living‘s “Best Carrot Cake”

This recipe by far is one of the best recipes I’ve had… And if you haven’t made this carrot cake you need too!

Southern Living’s “Best Carrot Cake”

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated carrot
• 1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 (3 ½-oz.) can flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Buttermilk Glaze:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup butter or margarine
• 1 tbsp. light corn syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• ¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.
2. Stir together first 4 ingredients.
3. Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Make the glaze: Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring often, 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
5. Make the frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.
6. Remove cakes from the oven and drizzle buttermilk glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.