Carrot Cake

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9in. round cake pans. Cut two 9in diameter circles out of parchment paper or wax paper and place in the bottom of each pan. Spray again & dust with flour. Shake out the excess.

2. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, oil, and eggs on low speed until well blended. Mix in all the dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in the carrots and coconut. The batter will be thick. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the layers around the edges with a knife. Carefully invert each layer by placing another rack directly over the layer and turning all upside down. Tap on the pan to loosen the layer. Carefully peel off the paper. Cool completely on the racks. Meanwhile, make the frosting.
5. To frost the cake, place one layer topside down on a cake plate. Spread with half of the frosting. REPEAT. Sprinkle with coconut and walnuts, if desired.