Carrot Cake

Carrot cake. Have two words ever been more beautiful?! This cake is so flavorful and moist, and then when you combine it with the tangy sweet deliciousness of that cream cheese icing….oy vay, forgedabout it!!!!

I have had people that don’t even like carrot cake say they love this cake! You have to try it! The first question that always comes up when I make this is “does it have raisins?” I have so many friends that have very strong aversions to raisins. I actually like them, but I usually leave them out when making this. Feel free to add them in if you like them (I added it as an optional ingredient).

Thanks to my favorite baking spice cinnamon, this is another one of those dishes that make the house smell really good when you are baking it! Ok, can we now talk about this cream cheese frosting…it is to die for! I have to work fast frosting the cake because my family is ready to take care of any leftovers right from the bowl! I typically make a two layer cake and frost it the traditional way by icing the middle, then the sides, and then finish the top. This time I decided to go more country style and only frosted the middle and top, finishing it off with some crystalized ginger pieces at the outer edge for decoration. It was equally as pretty and delicious so feel free to try both styles!

Make this for your next special occasion, get together, or just because it’s Tuesday and then watch it disappear!

---

Recipe

Carrot Cake

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

• 4 XL eggs

• 2 cups flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

• 2 cups grated raw carrots

• 10 oz crushed pineapple, drained

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

• (Optional)-1/2 cup raisins

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 lb confectioners sugar
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray two 9 inch cake pans with non stick spray.

3. In a large mixing bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid mixer), blend together the sugar, oil, ad eggs with the beater attachment (or hand mixer) util completely combined ad golden yellow in color (about 2 minutes).

4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients ad mix to combine.

5. Add your carrots, pineapple, nuts (and raisins if adding). Mix everything well together.

6. Pour cake batter into cake pans evenly. Then gently tap the pans on the counter to release any air bubbles in the cake batter. Place pans in oven and cook for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean when inserted into middle of cake.

7. When cakes are done, remove from oven ad let cool until cool to the touch, about 45 minutes or so.

8. For the frosting, mix the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth an d well combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix on low (so it doesn’t go all over your kitchen) an d mix until combined. Once powder is combined into butter I usually give it a quick 20-30 seconds at high speed to whip it around well.

9. Lastly, frost the cake as you desire….traditionally or country style.