SYRACUSE CARROT CAKE

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 Tbs. vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup raisins

3/4 cup walnuts

3/4 cup chopped dates

3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1, 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained and squeezed mostly dry with paper towels

3 cups shredded carrots

Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. In another bowl, mix raisins, walnuts and dates with 2 Tbs. of the dry ingredients.

Stir the rest of the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in raisins, nuts, dates, carrots, coconut, and pineapple.

Pour into a greased and floured 13" x 9" pan (or 2, 8” cake pans) and bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1, 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

3 tsp. vanilla

3 tsp. milk

31/2 cups confectioner's sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until smooth and creamy. I double this recipe if I am doing a 2 layer cake in cake pans.

I got this recipe when I was a student at Syracuse University. My roommate and I attended a birthday party for a friend of ours and happened upon this cake. We snuck pieces throughout the party and my only mission thereafter was to find the creator. Through the birthday boy, I met up with the "chef" and she gave me her secret recipe. I don't remember her name but her cake will go down in history.

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