Vince Beasy’s Remarkable Carrot Cake
- Makes two 9x13-inch cakes.
SERVES
Ingredients
- 6 cups cake flour
- 2 Tablespoons baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 2-1/2 Tablespoons cinnamon
- 5 cups sugar
- 3-1/2 cups oil
- 9 large eggs
- 1-1/2 lbs. shredded carrots, cleaned but unpeeled
- 8 oz. crushed pineapple, semi-drained
- 8 oz. walnut pieces, toasted
- Cream Cheese Icing
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 8 oz. Crisco oil
- 8 oz. (2 sticks) butter
- 2 lbs. cream cheese Zest
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 8 oz. raisins
- 10 oz. flaked coconut
- 8 oz. chopped walnuts
- 4 lbs. powdered sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, sift together three times: flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add sugar, oil, and eggs, and cream until sugar is dissolved and mixture is light and fluffy. Add carrots, pineapple, and toasted walnuts.
Grease and flour two extra-deep 9 x 13-inch pans. Divide batter among both pans and bake, about an hour, until center springs back when lightly pressed. When cakes are done, remove from oven and cool in pans for about 30 minutes before removing. You may loosen them around the edges with a spatula after removing them from the oven. Turn out onto large racks or place on large sheets to cool completely. After cooling, split each of the cakes into two layers before icing with the frosting recipe that follows. You may choose to leave the layers whole and ice only the tops and sides.
Cream Cheese Icing
Cream together 3 cups powdered sugar, oil, butter, cream cheese, and lemon zest and juice. Add raisins, coconut, and walnuts (or you may press walnuts into icing after cake is frosted). Gradually add in approximately 4 pounds of powdered sugar until desired consistency. Makes enough frosting to completely frost both large cakes.
This recipe makes two very large cakes (these cakes freeze beautifully) or you may cut recipe in half to make one large cake. Each cake serves 8-10.
Photo by: Kristy Flowers Williams
