Irene's 14 Carat Cake

                                                                               

Irene's 14 Carat Cake

1 3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups sugar

2 tsps. baking powder
1 1/2 tsps. baking soda
2 tsps. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups oil*
8 ounces crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup shredded or flaked coconut
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup apricot jam
3/4 cup walnuts, ground

Cream Cheese Frosting

1- 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick real butter, room temperature
1 pound box powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. real vanilla extract
1-2 Tbls of milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour three 9" round pans.
Sift together flour, wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Add 1/2 cup walnuts; set aside.
Combine oil*, pineapple, and carrots. Mix with eggs and coconut, beat well. Add dry ingredients and blend well; mix for about 2 minutes on medium speed of electric mixer.
Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until tests done. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then invert onto wire racks to cool.
While cake is cooling make frosting. Cream together the cheese and butter till well blended. Add sugar and vanilla; beat well. Add in about 1 Tbls of milk and beat till well mixed and fluffy. Add the other Tbls of milk, if needed.
When cake is cool, melt jam in a small sauce pan, brush middle layer with the jam. Frost top of each cake (including over jam in middle layer) with frosting, placing one layer on top of the other till you have all 3 layers together. Frost sides and top of cake. Place ground walnuts on sides of cake. Keep leftovers in fridge.
Serves 12-15 people.