Double Musky Carrot - er, Everything Cake

Every year I make my dad's birthday cake and it gives me an excuse to try recipes I've been itching to attempt.  This year I non-too-subtly persuaded him to a carrot cake that's famous around these parts. It's from the Double Musky, a local restaurant here in Alaska, and it's loaded with stuff. I mean, it should be called the kitchen sink cake: carrots, walnuts, pineapple, coconut, pecans; you name it.

And guess what? It's AWESOME. Seriously; like the best carrot cake I've ever had. And don't be scared of the stuff: you don't even really taste the pineapple. It just adds a ton of moisture so it's goooood.

Now, usually it's in a ho-hum 9x13 pan but this was a birthday so I  went for two rounds to fancy it up. I'm also not a huge cream cheese frosting fan so I weakened the tanginess by adding a little more powdered sugar to the recipe and whipping the stuff within an inch of its life - it came out nice and light which was a perfect compliment to the dense, richness of the cake! (The frosting even drew it's own compliments!)

Seriously, this one was hard to stop eating. If you have any inclination for carrot cake, TRY THIS RECIPE RIGHT NOW. Mmm, just looking at the pictures is giving me mouth-watering flashbacks...

Double Musky Carrot Cake
Adapted from source: Cheryl Canter

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups finely shredded carrots
2 cups flaked coconut (I used sweetened)
1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 lb. butter, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cups pecans, chopped
May add 1/4 cup milk to thin


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or butter two 9-inch round cake pans, add cut parchment round to bottom and grease; set aside.

Mix sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in flour, cinnamon, soda, and salt. Fold in carrot, coconut, pineapple, and nuts. Pour into greased pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-50 minutes, or until a tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until lumps are gone. Combine with vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar, mixing with electric mixer until it’s light and airy. (The longer you mix, the lighter it will be!) Spread on cooled cake. Garnish immediately with chopped pecans to wet frosting.

"Are you going to live in an igloo?"

I moved to Alaska when I was 10 years old and I remember quite vividly saying goodbye to my 4th grade classmates.  I remember showing them on the globe how far away Alaska was from Texas and one of them asked me, straight up, "Are you going to live in an igloo?"  I knew it was ridiculous but the fact that I still remember that question makes me wonder if, at the time, I wasn't quite sure myself.

I'm kidding. I laughed in their faces. Pfft. 10 year olds.

So even though I spent the rest of my youth here, moved away then would eventually return, I still don't think of Alaska as home. Isn't that weird?  I'm not FROM Alaska; I just live here right now.  That doesn't mean, however, that I deny it's beautiful landscapes or quirky residents or wonderful summers.  That's all grand.  But it's the damn winters...

But I digress.  I did not, as one might suspect, make these in response to the Texas cookies I shared with my fellow Texan family a few weeks ago.  I actually made them to share with my Alaskan coworkers at a bake sale being held at work.  I thought they'd appreciate these familiar sights over any old design (or especially Texas. Imagine: feeding Alaskans Texas cookies! The horror!)

I used Sweet Sugar Belle's recipe but I've made a few tweaks and they're working for me (learning my wonky oven temperature is the biggest plus).  This is the 8th batch of cookies I've made and I'm finally getting to the point where I've got a routine and it's getting easy!  Yay!

Ready for a bake sale!