Best Carrot Cake

Yield: 1 (9-inch) cake

Ingredients

• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons  baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 3  large eggs
• 2  cups  sugar
• 3/4  cup  vegetable oil
• 3/4  cup  buttermilk
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 2  cups  grated carrot
• 1  (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1  (3 1/2-ounce) can flaked coconut
• 1  cup  chopped pecans or walnuts
• Buttermilk Glaze
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Preparation

Line 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.

Stir together first 4 ingredients.

Beat eggs and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot and next 3 ingredients. Pour batter into prepared cakepans.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle Buttermilk Glaze evenly over layers; cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.