Leon and Cindy’s Carrot Cake

“This is crazy good carrot cake. Take your time with this one, don’t rush through it and your reward will be well worth your efforts.”

With Easter coming up this weekend, I wanted to share a Easter themed dessert perfect for a family gathering. I have always been a fan of Carrot Cake {I mean come on who isn’t?!} but I have never made it myself or found the perfect recipe. So it was meant to be when Leon Tackitt, owner of Tackitt Vineyards and EOD Cellars, {Ashton’s favorite wine} emailed me his recipe that he called Leon and Cindy’s Crazy Good Carrot Cake. Crazy good, huh? I decided to give it a trial run before Easter and he was right. This cake is knock your sock off good!

This Layered Carrot Cake consists of a moist spice cake mixed with carrots, pecans, coconut, and pineapple then drenched in a buttermilk glaze and topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting. How can it not be crazy good, right?

Print Recipe

Tackitt's Crazy Good Layered Carrot Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract make sure to use the real stuff
2 cups grated carrot
1 - 8 oz can crushed pineapple drained
1 - 3 ½ oz can flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

For the Buttermilk Glaze:

1 cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ cup butter milk
½ cup butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract again, no imitation allowed

For the Frosting:

¾ cup butter softened
2 – 8 oz package cream cheese softened
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract enough said above about imitation
chopped pecans optional

Instructions

Start by lining 3 - 9 inch layer cake pans with greased wax paper (bottom only) and grease (use butter) and flour the sides of the pan well.
Set oven at 350 degrees.
Next, mix together the first 4 ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Then beat the eggs along with the next four ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth in another bowl.
Now add the flour mixture and continue to mix at low speed until smooth.
Fold in the carrot and the last 3 ingredients.
Pour the batter into prepared cake pans.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
While the cake is in the oven, make the glaze.
Bring the first 5 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Make sure to stir often as it heats up and then constant for about 4 minutes after the boil.
Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Once the cake comes out of the oven, you’ll want to pour the glaze over each layer evenly.
Place the cake pans on a wire rack and let them cool for at least 15 minutes.
Once cool, remove from cake pans and continue to cool. You can place them in the fridge for at least an hour and get them slightly cool and firm for the frosting. Make sure to cover them well.
For the frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Frost the top and sides of all three layers.
Stack layers and add chopped pecans around the side of cake (optional).

Notes

Notes from Leon: Don’t get in a hurry to frost. If the cake is too warm, the frosting will melt and the cake will not stay put. The layers will slide off of each other and drive you crazy. Pull the cake from the fridge and one layer at a time, spread the frosting until all 3 layers are in place and well coated.

Did you make this Recipe?Tag @flchefnicole or hashtag #fortheloveoffoodblog

For The Love of Food Blog

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 3 – 9 inch layer cake pans with greased wax paper (bottom only) and

grease (use butter) and flour the sides of the pan well.

Next, mix together the first 4 ingredients {flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon} in a mixing bowl.

Then beat the eggs along with the next four ingredients

{sugar, vegetable oil, butter, vanilla} with an electric mixer

until smooth in another bowl.

Now add the flour mixture and continue to mix at low speed until smooth.

You need 2 cups of shredded carrot for this recipe.

Fold in the carrots and the last 3 ingredients {coconut, pineapple, pecans}.

Pour the batter into prepared cake pans.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

While the cake is in the oven, make the glaze.

Bring the first 5 ingredients {sugar, baking soda, butter, buttermilk, corn syrup} to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Make sure to stir often as it heats up and then constant for about 4 minutes after the boil.

Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Once the cake comes out of the oven, you’ll want to pour the glaze over each layer evenly.

Place the cake pans on a wire rack and let them cool for at least 15 minutes.

Once cool, remove from cake pans and continue to cool. You can place them in the fridge for at least an hour and get them slightly cool and firm for the frosting. Make sure to cover them well.