Unionville House Carrot Cake

UNIONVILLE HOUSE CARROT CAKE

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Here thanks to freelance recipe tester, former chef and all-round ace
cook, Heather Epp, is a recipe for carrot cake that she recently made
~- to rave reviews — for her sister Lorraine’s nuptial celebrations.
Epp got the recipe from Cheryl Ringler, co-owner and chef of the
Unionville House Restaurant in Unionville, and deems it the best
she’s tried.
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Epp made seven batches of this to produce enough cakefor 150 wedding
guests: one four-tiered cake (16-inch, 12-inch, 8-inch and cake, she
supported the layers with wooden dowels, available from specialty
baking stores. This cake will keep refrigerated, up to one week.

2 c All-Purpose Flour 2 tb Baking Powder 2 ts Baking Soda 1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Nutmeg 1/4 ts Allspice 4 ea Eggs 1 1/4 c Granulated Sugar 1/4
c Liquid Honey 1 1/4 c Vegetable Oil 3 c Carrots (about 3/4 lb/375
g); grated 1 c Crushed Pneapple; with juice 1/2 c Dried Coconut
(optional) 1/2 c Raisins 1/2 c Walnuts

ICING:

1 lb Cream Cheese (500 g); at room temperature 3 tb Liquid Honey 2 ts
Vanilla 1 c Butter; at room temperature 1 pk Icing Sugar (4 cups/500
g)

In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon,
salt, nutmeg and allspice. In another, larger bowl, using electric
hand mixer, beat eggs, sugar and honey about 3 minutes or until pale
yellow. Add oil, beating about 1 minute. Stir in carrots, pineapple,
coconut, raisins and walnuts. Gradually add dry ingredients in three
parts, mixing throughly and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.
Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. Bake in
preheated 400 F oven for 5 minutes; then reduce heat to 350F and bake
25 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out
clean. Cool at least 10 minutes in pans; turn out on to wire racks to
finish cooling. To prepare icing: In bowl, usuing electric mixer,
beat thogether cream cheese, butter, honey and vanilla, until smooth.
Gradually beat in the icing sugar, adding up to 1/2 cup more, if
required, for spreading consistency. Spread icing on top of each
layer, stacking cake and then smoothly spreading icing over top and
sides. Makes one three-layer cake, 16-20 servings.