Silver Palate Carrot Cake - American Cake - Right On

Three giant layers of carrot cake! 

This recipe is a lot like my forever carrot cake but this one is in the book American Cakes.
Angie asked for carrot cake for her birthday and she loves coconut, so okay here we go. It's now going to be my future carrot cake! So good!
BTW, this is not in order or publication in the book...I know.

Carrot Cake
1 pound carrots, before you pare the tops
1.5 cup walnuts
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking soda
1.5 cup canola oil
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1.5 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
8 ounce can of crushed pineapple

Line 3 9-inch pans with parchment and spray liberally.
Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Toast the walnuts.
Grate the carrots and simmer in water for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water.
Combine flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda in bowl. In a mixing bowl combine oil and sugar. Cream. Add the eggs and vanilla. Into the wet mixture add the flour mixture. Once combined add carrots, walnuts and pineapple. Scrape the bowl. Divide batter equally between all three pans.

Bake 45-55 minutes until when you test it with a tester and it comes out clean. They will be darkish when done. Run a knife around the parameter of the pan before cooling.

Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
12 tablespoons butter, room temperature
7 cups confectioners sugar
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon or 1 orange

Cream the butter and cream cheese until there are no lumps. Add the remaining ingredients. Whip until smooth.