Y-I-EAT-N

I made a carrot cake today for a party we were supposed to have but it was cancelled so now I am stuck with an entire cake. Problem is I love carrot cake and am likely to eat the whole thing in a day or two. Carrots are deceivingly sweet. If you are drinking fresh fruit juice and it is a the color orange and sweet, chances are that the carrots are to blame. We don’t typically think of carrots as sweet but yet they make one of the best damn desserts known to man.

This recipe for carrot cake produces one of the most moist and fluffiest cakes you could ever dream of.

Carrot Cake Recipe

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2.5-3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened (I stick)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans (I usually just add these on top at the end)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan. You can rub butter inside the pan
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots.  Try adding other vegetables like zucchini into the cake or add apples and raisins. This batter is really versatile and guarantees you a really moist and flavorful cake every time. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. I always check on the bread early because everyone’s oven cooks at different temperatures. I also like to turn it about halfway through the cooking process to ensure even baking. I have noticed that the cake cooks more on the outsides so make sure to check the center of the cake for doneness.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.
5. Frosting Tip: You can use any number of ingredients in the frosting. If you do not want to buy cream cheese or want to use less butter/sugar, simply start adding what you want and work to your desired consistency. For the frosting above I used some confectioner sugar, brown sugar and a little bit of maple syrup. It wasn’t all that thick but it made for a nice glaze. Confectioners sugar and lemon/lime juice is also a great way to make a tasty glaze.

Tags: carrot cake