TO DIE FOR CARROT CAKE

Ingredients
Cake:
One
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce or oil, this is what my Nana used
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs room temperature
Two
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Three
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped nuts optional
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup Dole crushed pineapple not drained! {use the pineapple in JUICE not syrup}
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 cup butter softened
8 oz cream cheese softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar
top with toasted pecans or coconut if desired

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine #1 ingredients. Add #2 ingredients. Stir in #3 ingredients.
Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 , two 9-inch pans or three 8-inch pans. (The cake is very moist so cutting parchment for the bottom of your pans will ensure they don’t stick. I prefer to use the non-stick baking spray that has the flour in it for easy cake removal.)
Bake for 35-40 minutes for the 9×13 and 9-inch pans and 25-30 minutes for the 8-inch pans. You’re looking for an inserted toothpick to come out clean.
Let cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
For the frosting:
Beat the butter and cream cheese until nice and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until nice and smooth.
Invert the cake onto a cake plate or stand.
Apply a generous dollop of frosting and spread…
Gently place the second cake on top and continue frosting. Repeat with the third cake if you made three.
Refrigerate for an hour before serving for best results.