Five Star Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups granualted sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated carrot
• 1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 3 1/2 oz. flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Buttermilk Glaze Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 11 ounces cream cheese, softened (about a block and a half)
• 1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions For the Cake

1. Line pans:Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with parchment paper; lightly grease and flour parchment paper. Set pans aside.
2. Combine dry ingredients:Stir together first 4 ingredients—flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Make batter: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 cake pans.
4. Bake, glaze, and frost:Bake at 350°F 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.

Directions For the Glaze

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

Directions For the Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
2. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract; beat at high speed 10 seconds or until smooth.