Ingredients
CAKE
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon table salt
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup canola oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups carrots, grated
1 cup pineapple, drained and crushed/chopped or 1 cup of grated granny smith apple
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut, chopped & roasted
1 ½ cups pecans, chopped and roasted (optional with tablespoon butter, melted and salt)
ICING
2 packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
icing sugar, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°c. Roast nuts and coconut, allow to cool.
Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients. Beat butter and both sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add oil; beat until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla. Fold in carrots, pineapple, coconut and pecans. Spoon batter into 3 greased (with shortening) and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean. OR 2 pans and bake for 40-50 min.
Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely.
ICING
Beat softened cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add vanilla, and beat until blended. Gradually add icing sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 1 minute or until smooth.