Moist Carrot Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1½ cups canola oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1½ cups shelled walnuts, chopped
1 cup shredded coconut
1½ cups pureed cooked carrots
1 small 8 ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
12 tablespoons butter, room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Cream together cheese and butter. Slowly stir in powdered sugar and continue beating until incorporated and light and fluffy.

For garnish

½ cup walnuts for the top
toasted coconut
orange and green colored frosting for mini carrots, if desired

Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Peel and cook carrots until tender to a knife tip. One small bag of full-sized carrots should yield about the right amount of pureed, cooked carrots. Drain the carrots and puree while still warm in a blender or food processor until they are smooth. Measure out 1½ cups of the carrot puree and set aside.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together oil, eggs, vanilla and pureed carrots. Beat well for about 2 minutes. Fold in walnuts, coconut and pineapple. Pour equal amounts of batter into each pan. Set in the middle of the oven and bake for about 40-50 minutes or until edges have pulled away from sides and toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let sit in pans 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

When cool, level cakes to take humps off the center with a serrated knife. Frost the cake and garnish how desired.

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