This is a recipe I received from my mom YEARS ago called “Farmer’s Cake”, and over time I’ve changed it. The original recipe was much sweeter and much more oily, it left you feeling rather heavy afterward.

This variation is pleasantly sweet, without being cloying, and is moist without being greasy. It’s one of my favorite cakes with tender crumbs and rich flavors of spices.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Oil {I use melted coconut oil} *
1 cup Sugar *
3 Eggs
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Cloves
2 tsp. Baking Soda (** DON’T FORGET!)
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Salt
2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Crushed Pineapple  (with liquid)
1/2 cup Buttermilk (can substituent with whole milk or heavy cream)
1 cup Chopped Nuts
1 cup raisins (golden or regular)
2 cups Shredded Carrots

Mix first 3 ingredients until combined and smooth; add in remaining ingredients, folding in chopped nuts, raisins, and carrots, until combined.

Pour into greased {I also line the bottom with parchment paper} pans. You can do this as a thick 9×13”, 2 – 8” rounds, or a bundt cake…just be sure to adjust your time and check frequently toward the end.

Bake at 350* for 25 minutes for 2 – 8″ rounds…check periodically.

Allow to cool entirely before frosting and assembling.

For Frosting

16 ounces full fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 cup butter, softened
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Cream together butter and cream cheese, sift in confectioners’ sugar, mixing as you go. Add in vanilla extract and salt. Adjust thickness by adding milk (to make it thinner) or adding confectioners’ sugar (to make it thicker).

This will make enough to frost a two-layer cake.

**You may have noticed my note to not forget the baking soda…it’s for good reason. I ended up having to bake this cake twice because I had forgotten the baking soda.

While tasty it certainly was not what it should’ve been. Interestingly enough, my mother also forgot the leavening in her own Easter cake…after I had already told her about my mishap.

*The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil and 2 cups of sugar. You can safely add in as much or as a little of the sugar and oil {whichever oil you prefer}, within my measurements and the original recipe’s measurements without any issues. IF you choose to increase your oil measurements from my own, you can lessen the buttermilk accordingly.