Caramel-Soaked Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Above is a photo of the layers after being drizzled with the buttermilk caramel.  It soaks in and makes the layers moist and YUMMAY!!

Before I post this recipe I need to say a couple of things that I would do differently if I made it again.  1. I didn't see that the recipe calls for THREE 9-inch cake pans.  I may try three pans next time, but it worked fine doing two, I just baked them for the maximum time.  At a lower elevation it may take a little more bake time.  2. I didn't have a fine grater and I would definitely grate the carrots more finely if I did it again.  Nobody mentioned it though, they were too busy eating, so it's probably a matter of personal taste - mine!  3. The recipe says to pour the caramel over the layers while they are in the pans.  Unless you have springform pans, I wouldn't do that again.  It was a mess getting them out!  So I'll change the instructions on this recipe accordingly.

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

3 large eggs

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots

1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 (3 1/2 oz) can flaked coconut (I used toasted)

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

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

Stir together flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

Beat eggs and sugar, oil, buttermilk and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrots, pineapple, coconut and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Buttermilk Glaze:

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

After taking cake out of oven, cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and set bottom layer on serving plate.  Set other two, face down, on wire racks.  Drizzle buttermilk glaze evenly over baked layers.  Let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 (8oz) pkg. Cream cheese, softened

1 (3oz) pkg. Cream cheese, softened

3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

I froze the layers so they were easier to frost and it worked out perfectly.