• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare and grease a 1 lb. loaf pan. Add flour if your pan is prone to sticking. (you could also line your pan with parchment paper) If you're using a smaller loaf pan than 1 lb. , you most likely will have to divide your batter between two loaves.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the 4 eggs, 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, and 3/4 cup sugar for 4 minutes until well combined and slightly fluffy.
• Add 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup sour cream to the egg and sugar mixture. Mix for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fully incorporated.
• In the same bowl, add 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
• Avoid over-mixing, as it can affect the final texture of the carrot cake.
• Fold in 3/4 cup coconut shreds, 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts, and 3 cups shredded carrots using a rubber spatula. Mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with the spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once the cake is completely cooled, you can frost it with your choice of frosting, such as cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting. We're making cream cheese frosting today!

Cream cheese frosting:

• In a large mixing bowl, add the cold unsalted butter (16 tablespoons) and beat on medium-high speed for 4 minutes. Then add in your cold cream cheese.
• Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until creamy and well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Don't over-mix bc we don't want our cream cheese to release too much moisture.
• Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar (4 1/2 cups) to the bowl, about 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add the vanilla extract (1 tablespoon) and salt (1/4 teaspoon) to the mixture. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
• Gradually pour in the heavy cream (3 tablespoons) while continuing to mix on low speed. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 2-3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. If the frosting seems too thick, you can add a little more heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
• Once the cream cheese frosting is ready, it can be used to frost your carrot cake. (Make sure your carrot cake is completely cool before adding your frosting – or it WILL slide off!) Spread a generous amount of frosting on top of the cooled cake, and if desired, frost the sides as well.
• I piped my frosting on with a wilton 8b piping tip, but that is completely optional!

Decorate:

• Once you have frosted your carrot cake with cream cheese icing (following the previous instructions), you can choose to keep it simple or get creative with decorations.
• For a simple decoration, you can sprinkle crushed walnuts or pistachios on top of the cream cheese frosting. This adds a nice texture and complements the flavors of the carrot cake.
• If you want to take it up a notch, you can pipe on mini carrots using orange-colored frosting. To do this, fill a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (such as Wilton tip #3) with orange-colored frosting. Hold the piping bag at a 45-degree angle and gently squeeze to create small carrot shapes on top of the cake. Use green-colored frosting to pipe small green stems on top of the carrots.
• Another option is to create fondant carrots for decoration. Roll out orange-colored fondant to about 1/8-inch thickness. Use a small knife or fondant cutter to cut out carrot shapes. You can add texture to the carrots by gently scoring vertical lines on them using a toothpick. Roll out a small piece of green fondant and shape it into a stem. Attach the stem to the top of each carrot using a dab of water or edible glue. Place the fondant carrots on top of the cream cheese frosting.
• Feel free to get creative and add other decorative elements like edible flowers or sprinkles, depending on your preference.
• Remember, decorating is all about having fun and expressing your creativity. Baking is so much more enjoyable when you allow yourself to truly have fun with it!