Carrot Cake a la Rhonda

Carrot Cake a la Rhonda

I've had this recipe for probably seven years, and I'm just now getting around to baking it. It comes from an awesome woman who used to go to our church, until she and her family moved out to the country. She made this for one of our church picnics, and I just remember it being the most delicious carrot cake I've ever eaten: moist, flavorful, tender, but full of texture, with a perfect cream cheese frosting. Mmmm... I really don't know what's taken me so long to bake one myself.

The cake turned out as delicious as I remember. With all of the carrot, coconut, and pineapple, it's a pretty dense, moist cake. With the cream cheese frosting, it's a non-chocolate winner.

Carrot Cake a la Rhonda 

 Cake Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, undrained
• 2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 pound (about 3 3/4 cups) powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon with a whisk. Set aside

In another medium size bowl, combine the coconut, grated carrots, and chopped nuts. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream oil, sugar and eggs.  Add the flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon mixture and mix well. Add the carrot-coconut-nut mixture, plus the pineapple, and mix to incorporate. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

While cake cools, beat the cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. Frost cooled cake.

I store mine covered in the fridge because of the cream cheese frosting, although I'm not sure how necessary refrigeration is. 

Makes 8-12 servings

A simple pan cake made a little fancier with some attention to the frosting.