Big Bill's Carrot Cake

A few weeks ago, my bestfriend texted me. She needed a cake, for her former working place colleagues, which she did her practical. We discussed about that few days before that and settled for a carrot cake since most of them were quite veteran and they did not fancy any schmancy cake.

And the journey to find a perfect carrot cake began...

A perfect carrot cake should be moist but not spongy. Dense but not soggy. Full with flavour but not overpowering.

The was this one time when Big Bill's carrot cake became a phenomenal in blogosphere. And so i decided to try, a pre-testing recipe to make sure I could deliver the most perfect carrot cake.

But it was nothing like what I like about carrot cake. It was dense but too dry. It was full with flavour but too many flavour until you won't know if its a carrot cake or a coconut cake. Definitely not the traditional carrot cake that I loved.

Big Bill's Carrot Cake

Adapted from: Dorie Greenspan

2 cups all purpose flour

2tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground all spice

3/4 tsp salt

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup dessicated coconut

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

4 eggs

For frosting:

8 ounces

1/2 cup butter

3 3/4 cups icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Heat the oven to 170 degrees celcius.
2. Sieve together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, all spice and salt in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, mix together carrots, chopped nuts, coconut and raisins.
3. With the wire whisk attachment, beat together sugar and oil until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and continue beating until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and gently add the flour mixture gradually.
4. Fold in the carrots mixture and mix well.
5. Divide the batter onto your desired pans (either one, two or three) and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
6. For the frosting, beat cream cheese with a paddle attachment until smooth and creamy. Add in the butter and continue beating. Gradually add in the sugar and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla essence.