Sister Beth's Carrot Cake

One of my sisters, Beth, learned how to make carrot cake in home economics class in 1978. A few years ago I asked her to write down what she remembered from the recipe. Only remembering two-thirds of the ingredients, I completed the recipe by trial and error. It was worth all the effort. Simply delicious.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 614 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (Optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 5 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 dash vanilla extract
• 1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Step 3

Whisk vegetable oil, white sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together in a bowl until smooth.

Step 4

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.

Step 5

Stir oil mixture into flour mixture until a well-mixed batter forms.

Step 6

Fold carrots, pineapple, coconut, and walnuts into batter; pour into prepared baking pan.

Step 7

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour; cool completely, about 1 hour.

Step 8

Whisk confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter, and a dash vanilla extract together in a bowl until well blended; spread over cooled cake.