Carrot cake

my husbands birthday is march 9 th
he planned a trip to longbeach for razor clamming'
We have gone last year to ocean shores
We thought its a good tradition to start each year.
I baked a carrot cake today following this recipe:
Ingredients

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon I had cinamon sticks I used my zester to grind over a sieze to have a fresh cinamon with no chunks

1 3/4 cups white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups shredded carrot

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup chopped walnut (optional) Mine had Pistachios mixed in also

8 ounces crushed pineapple, drained I didnt have pinapple I used some peach juice about a cup to have the moisture and sweetness of a fruit . I thought about adding soaked and chopped apricots. Maybe next time

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9×13 pan. I used a large 12 by 12 cake pan it cooked in 30 min.

2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

3. Make a well in the center and add sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla.

4. Mix till smooth. Stir in carrots, coconut, walnuts (if using) and pineapple.

5. Pour into pan and bake for about 45 minutes, the center may sink a bit. mine looked nice a brown on top

6. Frost with either store bought or homemade cream cheese icing. I made cream cheese frosting
whipping a package of room temp or microwave softened cream cheese . and a cube of butter
a two pound bag of powdered sugar after whipping butter and cream cheese with one tsp vanilla
I turned off the mixture and poured in the powdered sugar . I slowly mixed when it starts to stick to the sides I pour in  5 to 8 tbl of milk until its smooth and fluffy whip for a few minutes to have a fluffy frosting!
 I really want to make a poke cake
I saw they have a recipe with sweetened condensed milk I mixed vanilla pudding poking holes all over the cake in the pan ( it set quickly mixing the cold milk in Jello pudding mix) I spread the pudding over the top I wish it had been more watery to go down in the holes better. I bet it will still taste good .