Easter Cake

• FOR THE CAKE
• 1-1/4 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon each of baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups finely grated carrots
• 1/2 cup each of finely chopped walnuts and chopped raisins
• FOR THE ICING
• 12 ounces regular cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 to 3-1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• Food coloring
• FILLING AND GARNISH
• 3/4 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
• 1-1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (optional)

1. 1. Lightly grease two 8- by 2-in round cake pans. Dust the pans with flour, knocking out the excess. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. 2. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.
3. 3. Using a mixer on low speed, beat the liquids briefly in the well, then blend the entire batter on low speed just until evenly mixed.
4. 4. With a spatula fold the carrots, walnuts, and raisins into the batter between the cake pans, smoothing it with a spoon.
5. 5. Bake the cakes on the center oven rack for about 25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes comes out clean. Cool the pans for 10 minutes, then run a butter knife around the edges to loosen them.
6. 6. Remove each cake from its pan by inverting pan. Then slowly lift the pan from the cake. Let the cakes cool completely (at least 1 hour) before icing them.
7. 7. ICING: Use a mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl until smooth. Blend in the vanilla extract.
8. 8. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, beat until smooth and fluffy after each add. Save about 2/3 cup of the icing. Cover and chill.
9. 9. Place the first cake layer on a serving plate. Smooth a layer of the icing over the top. Then the crushed pineapple over the icing.
10. 10. Place the second layer on top of first, then ice cake. Gently pat coconut onto all sides of cake.
11. 11. Finally, dye some of the reserved frosting orange and the rest green. Use a bag to pipe carrots on top of cake. Store cake in the refrigerator until serving it, let sit at room temp for 20 mins before slicing.

cake, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, ground cloves, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, carrots, walnuts, icing, regular cream cheese, butter, vanilla, sugar, coloring, pineapple, coconut

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/easter-cake-50075001 (may not work)