Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This cake is moist, dense and delicious! Great with a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. 

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup coconut oil or vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional but I like to add them)
2 cups shredded carrots
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In bowl, toss together the carrots, pineapple, coconut and walnuts. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat together eggs, applesauce, oil, buttermilk, sugar, vanilla and chia seeds until well combined. Add flour mixture and mix until combined. Fold in carrot mixture until just combined and evenly distributed throughout batter.  Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 (8 oz.) blocks of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, softened
pinch of kosher salt
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Be sure to let cream cheese and butter soften first for easy blending. In a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter, salt and vanilla until creamy.  Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until well blended.
Frost cake and chill for several hours or over night.
This makes more than needed for frosting the top only of a 9 x 13 cake.
My family uses the rest spread between two graham crackers. Just store in refrigerator.