Sundays are for long, lazy Sunday brunches. And Easter is no exception even if you are still not gathering with family and friends as we are still in a pandemic even though the world is blowing it off! While I will never ever tire of my beloved Overnight Baked Blueberry Oatmeal Crisp and Stacked Breakfast Enchiladas, the ultimate Easter brunch called for something a little more elevated and French this year! But still keeping with the usual traditions and every Easter I make a carrot cake!!!

Enjoy these scenes from our Easter Sunday.

And hope you will try this carrot cake recipe!

I made my beloved Quiche Lorraine and you can grab that recipe here. It’s sooo very delicious. My pastry crust is exceptional if I do say myself. I also made a delightful green salad and crispy fried lemony potatoes. Brunch was a success!

The dinner menu was pretty traditional …roasted paprika rubbed chicken with lemon and dill, garlic mashed potatoes, and roasted carrots.

And now for The Tropical Carrot Cake you guys went nuts for over on Instagram!

Carrot cake is often a source of heated debate in the culinary world. People have strong opinions and sincerely defend their stance on what goes into the cake, and how they like it. I skew off the norm on this one, skipping over many of the traditional ingredients, including raisins and crushed pineapple. ( I love pineapple chunks) I also use a ton of shredded coconut. And brown sugar deepens the hint of spice that balances the sweetness of the rich cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice or ground cloves
1 tsp kosher salt
1.5 cups Canola Oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots use a small to medium grate size
1 tbsp cornstarch to toss with the carrots before stirring
1.5 cups shredded coconut
1 cup pineapple chunks

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 oz cream cheese in blocks
1 cup (2 sticks) cup butter room temp
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
8 cups sifted confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
Instructions
Coconut Carrot Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two cake pans with butter and parchment paper to line the bottom.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour through salt), whisking thoroughly and using a sifter if needed.
Using a stand mixer, combine the oil, buttermilk, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to make the batter. Toss the grated carrots and pineapple chunks with the cornstarch (to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the pans in the batter), and fold into the mixed batter. Add the coconut and pour evenly into the prepared cake pans.
Bake for 35 mins. The cakes should be set in the middle, but be careful to not overbake. Remove from the pans soon to stop the cooking process - cool on a wire rack until ready to frost.
Cream Cheese Frosting, and finishing that cake!
Combine the cream cheese and butter with vanilla, then slowly add the confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time, until well blended. Add the cream and nuts and whip until desired consistency is reached.
Place one cake piece down on the cake platter, and top with a generous amount of frosting - this is a "naked cake" with no frosting on the sides, so go heavy on the layers. Add the next cake piece, and repeat until you have two layers with lots of frosting on the top - a little can overhang. ENJOY!!!