Carrot Cake

A little time consuming - but according to any carrot-cake lovers (and some who are not!) it's super delicious!! :) Recipe is from Mortons Steakhouse

Cake Ingredients:
2 T butter
2 Cups flour plus more for dusting the pan
2 t baking soda
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
4 large eggs
2 C sugar
2/3 C vegetable oil
3/4 C buttermilk
2 t vanilla extract
1/3 C fresh pineapple, crushed (canned works too)
2 C carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1 1/3 C loosely packed shredded, sweetened coconut
2 C finely chopped walnuts

Glaze Ingredients:
1 C sugar
1/2 C buttermilk
1/2 C butter
1 T light corn syrup
1/2 t baking soda
1 T pure vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients:
1 1/2 C butter softened
12 oz cream cheese softened
3 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 t fresh orange juice
1 1/2 t grated orange zest
1 1/2 t pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter two 9-inch round pans. Dust each cake pan with flour and tap out excess. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Add the sugar, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla and thoroughly incorporate. Add the pineapple, carrots, coconut and 1 cup of the walnuts and mix well. then add the flour mixture and fold into the batter with a rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake on center rack for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean.
GLAZE- While the cake is baking, in a small saucepan mix together the sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda until well blended. Set the anover medium heat and bring to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes stirring until heated through and sugar has dissolved. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
Remove the cakes from the oven and put them, still in the pans, on wire racks sitting on baking sheets. Using a toothpick, poke holes in the top crust of each cake layer. Do not poke holes deeper than halfway through the cakes. Whisk the glaze and pour it evenly over the cake layers. Let the cakes cool completely and then cover them, still in the pans, with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
FROSTING- In the bowl, using an electric mixer or a hand held mixer on medium speed beat the butter and cream cheese for about 2 minutes or until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Mix slowly to avoid sugar flying out of the bowl. Gradually increase the speed and beat for about 1 minute or until smooth.
Remove cakes from refrigerator and layer as so. Put layer 1 on a platter, glazed side down. Put about a third of the frosting on the center of the cake layer and spread evenly. Put the other layer on top of the cake, glazed side down and frost the top with about a third of the frosting. With remaining frosting frost the sides of the cake. with the tip of the spatula press lightly on the top layer of cake and pull it up to form spikes. Lightly sprinkle cake with chopped walnuts and press them onto the sides.
Enjoy!!