Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake
2 C flour 2t vanilla
2 t b-soda 8 oz crushed drained pineapple
2 t cinnamon 2C grated carrots
1/2 t salt 3 1/2 oz shredded coconut
3 eggs 4 oz (1C) pecans or walnuts (preference)
3/4 C vegetable oil 3/4 C buttermilk
2C sugar
Buttermilk glaze
1 C butter 1 cube butter
1/2 t baking soda 1 t corn syrup
1/2 C buttermilk 1 t vanilla
Cream cheese frosting
1 cube butter room temp 2 C powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese room temp 1 t orange juice
1 t vanilla 1 t grated orange peel
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 13â€X9†or two 9†pan(s); set aside. Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, buttermilk, sugar and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture, pineapple, carrots, coconut and nuts. Stir well. Pour into pan(s). Bake 55 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. While cake is baking, prepare Buttermilk Glaze. Remove cake from oven and slowly pour glaze over hot cake. Cool cake in pan until glaze is totally absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn out of pan, if desired. Cool completely. May be frozen and/or refrigerated for several days. Frost, refrigerate till frosting is set. Serve chilled.
Buttermilk glaze
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, soda, buttermilk, butter and corn syrup. Bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes, stir occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
Cream cheese frosting
Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla, powdered sugar, orange juice and orange peel. Mix until smooth
It was my good fortune that my wife attended a cooking class with a very good pastry chef many years ago and she gleaned this recipe from him. I get it about once a year because it is rather labor intensive. But worth it.