Things have changed a lot since I first started blogging. In the beginning, I really just blogged what I ate. That is still mostly true – especially when it comes dinners. But in the beginning, if there was a holiday, I would blog about that holiday food after the holiday. It’s kind of silly now that I think about it, because who wants a flag cake the day after the 4th of July?? But that’s how I did it. And I think that’s how a lot of bloggers did it back then.
Today, I try to actually give you some holiday food ideas before the actual holiday. Which sometimes means Thanksgiving dinner in October, but hey – I’m not complaining!! But I totally dropped the ball for St. Patrick’s Day this year. Not one single recipe posted here. I feel like the last few weeks have been so crazy that I didn’t even have time to stop and think about anything green.
So I made up my mind to get it together for Easter. Kind of. I have a couple Easter recipes for you this week – and yes, I’m pretty early!! But I celebrate my 6th blog birthday next week, and have some fun things working for that, and I wanted to get a few new Easter recipes to you before the holiday comes.
Up first – dessert!! My original plan was to try an Easter Pie recipe that I found, but then a few weeks ago, my mom made a carrot cake. It wasn’t anything fancy – just a regular old carrot cake from a box, cooked in a 9×13 pan, topped with cream cheese icing. It was dangerous. I kept eating “just one more little piece” until I had eaten way more than I should have. And when it was gone, I still couldn’t get carrot cake out of my head, so I had to make one.
I’m also a coconut lover – if you’ve been reading here for awhile, you will know that. And this thought came into my head to add toasted coconut to the top. It almost didn’t make it. Toasting coconut with 3 kids is not the easiest thing to do. The first batch went in, I got distracted, and it burned. The second batch went in and I got so distracted that it was in there for quite some time and turned completely black. Oops!! By the time I put the third batch in, I told myself that if I burned it again, I was going to scrap the whole toasted coconut thing. I put it in, stirred it after a few minutes, and stood and waited in front of the oven, determined to make it perfectly. And then something happened – I can’t remember what – but I walked away. When I ran back to the oven after remembering, the coconut was toasted more than I would normally toast it, but at least it wasn’t burned. So I went with it. So yeah – the coconut here is pretty toasty, but it was still delicious!! I think I’ll be adding coconut to all of my carrot cakes from here on out!
This cake is perfect to feed a crowd, and what says Easter more than Carrot Cake? It’s easy and not fussy (except that darn coconut) and the perfect way to end a great meal!
Prep Time:
Yield:
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PinDescription
Perfectly moist, this carrot cake is fit to serve a crowd.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
- 1/2 cup sweetened coconut
Icing
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup toasted coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 15x10x1-inch sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, vegetable oil and applesauce. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition. Add in the vanilla.
- In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the wet mixture. Add in the buttermilk and stir just to combine. Fold in the carrots and coconut.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared sheet pan and bake in the oven until a toothpick comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
- To make the icing, beat together the cream cheese and butter. Beat in the vanilla. Add in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and beat until smooth and creamy. Pour over the cooled cake and spread evenly.
- Top cake with the toasted coconut.
More Easter Dessert Ideas:
Easter Egg Marshmallow Truffles
From Around the Web:
Better Than Easter Carrot Cake Poke Cake from Something Swanky
Lemon Berry Trifle from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies from Sweet Treats and More
Rosa says
March 18, 2013 at 4:15 amDeliciously coconutty!
Cheers,
Rosa
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 1:16 am@Rosa, I do love my coconut!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
March 18, 2013 at 4:22 amI LOVE carrot cake and love that you used oil not butter in this cake (for extreme moistness) & an abundance of carrots, applesauce, and buttermilk. Holy soft & tenderness! Can only imagine what cooking with THREE little ones is like. And blogging after the holiday…yeah it only took me 2 yrs to start figuring out to do it BEFORE. lol
Colleen @ What's Baking in the Barbershop?! says
March 18, 2013 at 5:30 amI love toasted coconut for baked goodies! And I also love carrot cake! Thanks for a great Easter idea before the holiday… I always have the best intentions of doing holiday recipes beforehand, but I rarely do. Oh well. 🙂
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 1:12 am@Colleen @ What’s Baking in the Barbershop?!, it’s hard to keep on top of the holidays when it seems like there is always one coming up!
Joanne says
March 18, 2013 at 6:55 amI’m the same way…now I really try to be conscious of posting recipes before the actual holiday even if that means not posting what I actually ate on that holiday until the next year! I had an easter recipe fail last night (pie crust got moldy in the fridge overnight. Literally.) so now I need to start over. I think something carrot cake and coconut sounds awesome!
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 1:09 am@Joanne, it’s never fun to have a recipe fail – especially when there is mold involved!
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
March 18, 2013 at 7:03 amMy husband would adore this. Honestly I don’t blame you for letting St Patty’s day be forgotten, it’s so easy to do.
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 1:08 am@Rachel @ Baked by Rachel, I guess it does seem like there is always a holiday coming – and if I had to skip a holiday, St. Patrick’s day wasn’t a bad one to skip!
Bev @ Bev Cooks says
March 18, 2013 at 7:36 amOh LAWWWWD count me in x a trillion.
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 1:06 am@Bev @ Bev Cooks, sending a slice your way!
Jen @ Savory Simple says
March 18, 2013 at 7:58 amThis is a perfect dessert for the holidays!
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 1:06 am@Jen @ Savory Simple, I think it would be perfect for Easter – or for any day, for that matter!
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says
March 18, 2013 at 8:04 amI love a dangerous cake!
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 1:00 am@Barbara @ Barbara Bakes, I’m just glad I didn’t set the house on fire!
Paula - bell'alimento says
March 18, 2013 at 8:27 amI’d like two slices please : )
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 1:00 am@Paula – bell’alimento, I’m pretty sure I had more than 2! 😉
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction says
March 18, 2013 at 9:39 amLove the toasted coconut!
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:55 am@Jessica@AKitchenAddiction, it was my favorite part!!
Amanda says
March 18, 2013 at 11:26 amWhat a beautiful and fantastic recipe!! Love everything you posted. 🙂
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:54 am@Amanda, thanks so much – I love how simple a sheet cake is, but everyone loves them!
Laura Dembowski says
March 18, 2013 at 1:01 pmThat cake looks incredible! I would love a slice. Sometimes I post on my blog whatever I felt like making that turned out so well I want to share and other times I try to plan. It all just depends.
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:49 am@Laura Dembowski, I’m the same – I try to plan, but most of the time I post whatever I’m making normally.
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
March 18, 2013 at 1:44 pmGorgeous! I love sheet cakes – they’re so much easier to frost than a cake! And that coconut on top looks like perfection!
No worries on St. Patty’s Day – I kind of forget about the holidays until it happens!
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:43 am@Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious, I know – I’m totally loving sheet cakes lately!!
Tracey says
March 18, 2013 at 1:54 pmAs a fellow coconut lover, I couldn’t be more excited about the prospect of this cake! It sounds beyond amazing! As for food holidays, these days I often fall into the trap of making things in advance for the blog, and then when the actual holiday rolls around I don’t make anything for my husband 🙂
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:42 am@Tracey, yay for coconut lovers!!
carrian says
March 18, 2013 at 2:15 pmLooks wonderful, and yes I totally did the same thing with holidays. haha!
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:12 am@carrian, my poor kids don’t even know when holidays are anymore, I’ve got them so confused!
Julia says
March 18, 2013 at 2:33 pmI was planning on carrot cake for Easter anyway… now I have juuust the recipe to use!
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:11 am@Julia, I wasn’t originally planning carrot cake, but I’ll be having it now!
Emily says
March 18, 2013 at 2:42 pmTotally going to make this. Carrot cake is my hubby’s fave!
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:10 am@Emily, your husband has good taste! 🙂
teresa says
March 18, 2013 at 4:48 pmmy hat seriously goes off to you blog studs that get out your amazing recipes ahead of time. i always plan to have holiday recipes, but it hasn’t happened yet. i just might start posting stuff that i made LAST year, haha!
i LOVE this cake, the coconut really sets it over the edge.
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:06 am@teresa, well, I try, but I don’t always succeed!
Kim Bee says
March 18, 2013 at 6:38 pmI want to make this immediately. It’s gorgeous.
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:04 am@Kim Bee, thanks so much! I want to make another one already. 🙂
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
March 18, 2013 at 6:50 pmI love your toasted coconut topping!
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:04 am@Laura (Tutti Dolci), thanks – I have a thing for coconut!
Marjory says
March 18, 2013 at 7:21 pmI adore carrot cake and the Easter bunny definitely approves…will have to try to toasted coconut topping next go round.
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:04 am@Marjory, the toasted coconut definitely makes it stand out a bit!
Julie @ Sugarfoot Eats says
March 18, 2013 at 7:47 pmI want some now!!!!! I love that it’s a sheet cake too. I’m sometimes clumsy with layer cakes.
Deborah says
March 19, 2013 at 12:00 am@Julie @ Sugarfoot Eats, I am so with you on that – I’m not very good at layer cakes. I love the simplicity of a sheet cake!
Anne @The Cooking Campaign says
March 19, 2013 at 2:11 amThis looks delicious! And simple which I love 🙂
shelly (cookies and cups) says
March 19, 2013 at 7:38 amI love the combination of carrot cake and coconut!! Love this!
Nutmeg Nanny says
March 19, 2013 at 9:19 amI have a love for carrot cake and toasted coconut so needless to say i’m excited to give this recipe a try 🙂
Becky says
March 19, 2013 at 4:38 pmI am also a coconut lover!! All of your recipes in this post look scrumptious for easter. I may try the poke cake or lemon chess pie!
Beth says
March 19, 2013 at 7:51 pmSix years? That’s amazing! And I laughed at your story of the coconut. That’s exactly the kind of thing I’d do.
grace says
March 20, 2013 at 5:05 amthe increased presence of carrot cake is my favorite part about easter, food-wise. this is a great idea, and i’m glad the coconut made it. 🙂
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
March 20, 2013 at 10:52 pmThis looks incredible!!
I admire how frequently you post and how you truly accommodate your readers as much as possible. You’re amazing, plain and simple. 😀
marcie@flavorthemoments. says
March 21, 2013 at 7:51 pmI absolutely love coconut in my carrot cake! Toasted coconut, even better! That lemon poke cake looks wonderful, too, and I just picked up a bag of Meyer lemons. Too many desserts, too little time!
Sheila says
March 24, 2013 at 2:35 pmThis carrot cake looks so delicious –will definitely have to try!
Denise says
April 2, 2013 at 11:59 amI made this carrot cake on Sunday and it was absolutely wonderful! I followed the directions to a tee! Thank you!!!
Deborah says
April 4, 2013 at 9:27 pm@Denise, yay! I’m glad it was a hit!
Theresa G says
April 2, 2013 at 3:54 pmI made this for Easter and it was delicious!
Deborah says
April 4, 2013 at 9:27 pm@Theresa G, I’m so glad you loved it!! Thanks!
Dina says
April 9, 2013 at 2:36 pmi toasted coconut for the first time recently and it was fun. this would be a nice addition to carrot cake!
Julia | JuliasAlbum.com says
April 10, 2013 at 11:53 amThat’s quite an attractive carrot cake! Pinned!
Julia says
August 22, 2013 at 7:03 amMade it yesterday, love it!