Recipe by Megan Smith
Photography by Sarah Jane Sanders

Jameson, our trusty mascot, has a weakness for carrots. Go figure.
Our weakness lies more in this tropical cake than the carrots. Go figure.
This cake is a showstopper. For years it has made appearances at wedding showers, birthday parties and backyard gatherings up and down the Eastern seaboard…often with Jameson the bunny in tow.

Ingredients

Cake

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
3 teaspoons ground ginger
3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated peeled carrots
2 8-ounce cans crushed pineapple in its own juice, well drained

Frosting

3 8-ounce packages softened cream cheese
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
¾ cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

For Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides.
Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. Combine 1/3 cup flour and coconut a bowl.
Whisk remaining 2 cups flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl to blend.
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Add eggs 1 at a time,
beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Beat in flour-spice mixture. Stir in coconut-flour mixture, then carrots and crushed pineapple.
Divide batter among pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 1 hour. Run knife around edge of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.
For frosting: eat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, then cream of coconut and vanilla. Chill until firm enough to spread, about 30 minutes.
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over top of cake. Top with second cake layer, flat side up. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over. Top with third cake layer, rounded side up, pressing slightly to adhere. Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill cake and remaining frosting 30 minutes. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill 1 hour.

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