The Best Carrot Cake

This is an amazing recipe I gained from an amazing place where is used to work. A bit different from the "standard" carrot cakes recipes, but that is what makes it special.

3 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 1/2 tbsp baking soda
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sunflower or canola oil
4 eggs
3 large carrots, cooked and mashed
1 tin crushed pineapple
1 tbsp vanilla essence

1. Grease and line 2 spring-form tins
2. Place all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl place oil, eggs, pineapple, vanilla and carrots. Mix well.
4. Fold wet mix into dry ingredients.
5. Pour batter into prepared tins and bake for about 40 mins at 180 C degrees or until a skewer comes out clean.

For the cream cheese icing

250 g butter (softened)
600 g cream cheese
3 cups icing sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Beat butter until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth and pale.

Assemble:

1. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing tins.
2. Ice one of the cakes with the cream cheese icing, then place remaining cake on top of the other. Ice the top of the last cake.
3. Decorate with chopped walnuts, cranberries, pumpkin seeds or your choice of topping.

Enjoy!