Aunt Josphine's Carrot Cake

Aunt Josephine’s Carrot Cake

Cake Ingredients:
• 3 Cups Packed Shredded Carrots
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple drained (save juice)

• 3 cups unsifted all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
• 5 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 cup chopped raisins 
Frosting Ingredients:
• ½ cup Butter
• 1 Box Powdered Sugar
• 8 Ounces Cream Cheese
• 4 Tablespoons pineapple juice


Directions:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease and flour cake pan
• Combine carrots and lemon juice in small bowl
• Squeeze as much juice as possible from pineapple
• Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, & allspice in bowl.
• Beat in oil until blended
• Mix in carrots
• Beat eggs in one at a time
• Stir in vanilla, coconut, nuts, raisins, and pineapple until well blended
• Pour batter into prepared pan
• Bake 1 1/2 hours or until cake springs back from sides of pan
• Cool cake on wire rack for 5 minutes 
• Remove from pan and cool
• Beat together all frosting ingredients until smooth and cover top of cake when cooled.


SIDE NOTE:  I chopped some of the left over walnuts from the bag and toasted coconut to top the cake, I think it was one of the best decisions (baking wise) I've ever made... it was AMAZING and possibly my favorite part of eating it. 

Happy Thanksgiving

 It's the day before the feast and I just wanted to wish all my friends, family, and faithful readers a very happy Thanksgiving holiday.  I want to take the time to let you all know how important you are and that I'm very thankful to have you in my life. Before we all settle in to gorge ourselves on whatever our traditional (or non-traditional) celebrations of the day may be I just ask that you take a moment either to yourself or out loud around the dinner table to count your blessings. For this one day concentrate on the good things in your life, even if they are few and far between. Before you turn on the football game (GO COWBOYS!) make sure your loved ones know that they are appreciated, you never know how many holidays you have left to spend with them.

 

If you have a special holiday memory that you'd like to share, a recipe that's been a family favorite, a tradition... feel free to leave them in the comment box. I always enjoy a good story or something new to try out in the kitchen.  So until next time, I'm thankful for you all, have a fantastic holiday.