Blue Ribbon Carrot Cake

Source: From Portland's Palate - The Junior League of Portland, Oregon - 1992

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple, crushed and drained
2 cups carrots, grated
3 1/2 ounces shredded coconut
1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan or two 9-inch cake pans.

Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, buttermilk, sugar and vanilla extract and mix well. Add flour mixture, pineapple, carrots, coconut, raisins and walnuts and stir well.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Buttermilk Glaze
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan over high heat, combine sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter and corn syrup. Bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set glaze aside until cake is baked.

Remove cake from oven and slowly pour glaze over hot cake. Cool cake in pan until glaze is totally absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Frosting
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) (at room temperature)
8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon orange peel, grated

In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla extract, confectioners' sugar, orange juice and orange peel. Mix until smooth. Frost cake and refrigerate until frosting is set. Serve cake chilled.

Yields 20 to 24 servings.