Ingredients
Cake:
One
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce or oil, this is what my Nana used
 - 2 cups granulated sugar
 - 3 eggs room temperature
 
Two
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
 - 1 tsp baking soda
 - 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
 - 1/2 tsp salt
 - 1 tsp cinnamon
 
Three
- 2 cups grated carrots
 - 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
 - 1 cup chopped nuts optional
 - 1 tsp vanilla
 - 1 cup Dole crushed pineapple not drained! {use the pineapple in JUICE not syrup}
 
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
 - 8 oz cream cheese softened
 - 1 tsp vanilla
 - 1 lb powdered sugar
 - top with toasted pecans or coconut if desired
 
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 - Combine #1 ingredients. Add #2 ingredients. Stir in #3 ingredients.
 - Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 , two 9-inch pans or three 8-inch pans. (The cake is very moist so cutting parchment for the bottom of your pans will ensure they don't stick. I prefer to use the non-stick baking spray that has the flour in it for easy cake removal.)
 - Bake for 35-40 minutes for the 9x13 and 9-inch pans and 25-30 minutes for the 8-inch pans. You're looking for an inserted toothpick to come out clean.
 - Let cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
 - For the frosting:
 - Beat the butter and cream cheese until nice and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until nice and smooth.
 - Invert the cake onto a cake plate or stand.
 - Apply a generous dollop of frosting and spread...
 - Gently place the second cake on top and continue frosting. Repeat with the third cake if you made three.
 - Refrigerate for an hour before serving for best results.
 
This article and recipe adapted from this site
