The best carrot cake

For years I have been looking for an amazing carrot cake recipe. My husband made a request for one for his birthday, so I started my search and after looking at many recipes I decided to try this one. At last, I had found the one. Don’t be afraid of the pineapple; you can’t even taste it. Give this recipe a try; you won’t be disappointed.

You will need:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots

3/4 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

One 8oz can crushed pineapple (put in strainer and let juice drain. I used a fork to press out more liquid.)

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of 3 (8-inch) or 2 (9-inch) round pans with wax or parchment paper, or grease the pans with shortening and flour for easy release when turning out. Whisk together for 30 seconds the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs, 1 cup oil and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed until well blended and light coloured. With a spoon, stir in the flour until moistened, then add the carrots, pecans, crushed pineapple and coconut. Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Refrain from opening the oven door or touching the centre of the cake to test for completion until very near the end of baking time, or it could cause the cake to sink slightly in the centre. Cool cake layers in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack then turn out. Cool completely before frosting.

Tips: I cut back the sugar to 1 1/2 cups if it’s white and 1 1/3 if it’s brown. There is no problem if you exclude the nuts. If you are using one 9-inch cake pan, let it bake for 1 hour before checking. If it’s not finished, then bake for an additional 10 minutes.