Carrot Cake with Sweet Buttermilk Glaze and Cream Cheese Buttercream

Makes: 1, 9x13" cake Prep Time: 1 hour Bake time: 32 to 35 minutes

Ingredients

Cake

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups Dixie Crystals Granulated Sugar

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

3/4 vegetable oil

3/4 whole buttermilk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup crushed and drained pineapple

2 cups shredded carrots

1 and 1/4 pecan or walnut pieces

Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 cup whole buttermilk

12 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup Dixie Crystals Granulated Sugar

1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Buttercream

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons heavy cream

pinch of salt

4 and 1/2 cups Dixie Crystals Confectioners Sugar

Directions

Make the cake:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9×13″ baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients together by hand.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla together.

Add that mixture into the dry and mix until incorporated.

Add in the pineapple, carrots and nuts.

Pour into your prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 38 minutes, depending on your oven. The cake will be a deep brown color and spring back in the center when it is done.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup:

Buttermilk syrup:

In a pan over low heat, mix together all of the syrup ingredients.

Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar is completely disolved.

When the cake is done, wait about 5 minutes then poke holes all over the top of it. Make sure not to push down to the bottom of the pan. You want the liquid to be absorbed into the cake. I used the bottom of a spatula for this. ( See above photos).

Make the buttercream frosting:

Cream cheese buttercream:

Blend together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the vanilla, cream and pinch of salt. Slowly add in the confectioners sugar and blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

**IMPORTANT** In my humble opinion, the only way to eat this cake is warm…frosting and all.  So, here is what I do.  You can frost the cake when it is cool, then cut individual pieces. Place a piece in the microwave for about 20 to 25 seconds, depending on the size of the slice.  Then, the frosting will ooze down the sides of the cake and will be extraordinarily delicious!! What makes this cake stand out from the rest is eating it while it’s warm. It will change your life, I promise 🙂

I hope you enjoy this scrumptious cake as much as my friends and family did!!

Let me know how much you loved it! I love hearing your feedback 🙂

Happy Baking, my friends!! xo