Tasty Thursday - Carrot Cake Deluxe

This week is Tasty Thursday, Favorite Fall foods edition.
Now, my ultimate favorite fall food is pumpkin pie, and I make it from the pumpkin every year but I’m saving that for another post, with pictures and step by step instructions.
Coming in second to Pumpkin Pie are other goodies with a fair amount of spice to them. Such as spice cake, pumpkin cookies and the one I decided to feature today, Carrot Cake.
The rich brown color and flecks of orange in this cake remind me all the more of the changing leaves outside our window. It’s very much a cozy type of cake, not only eaten in the fall, but I think, more appreciated in the fall.

Carrot Cake Deluxe

2 1/2 cups grated carrot
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces
1 cup chopped or crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. each nutmeg and salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1. Preheat Oven to 350F.
2. Toss carrots, walnuts, pineapple and raisins with 1/2 cup of the flour to coat them (this keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cake batter).
3. Sift together remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
4. In a separate bowl blend eggs and sugar till light and fluffy, then drizzle in the vegetable oil while mixing.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients and pour over the carrot mixture. Fold all of that carefully and pour into a greased and floured 10 inch cake pan.
6. Bake 1 to 1 1/4 hours, till cake is firm to the touch in the center, Let cool completely and dust with powdered sugar, or ice with cream cheese frosting.