Carrot Cake

Is there an unspoken rule among children that they don't have to eat their dinner? Do they look knowingly across the table at one another, winking behind mom and dad's back before opening their mouths in a plaintive wail that can be heard three blocks away? Do they think it clever to play the "I'm full" card right before begging loudly for adult-sized bowls of ice cream? Sauce-soaked noodles  languish and turn cold, pushed around the plate with straggling bits of broccoli. Food they cannot possibly eat, you know. That is, until dessert is brought out. 

And then, all of the sudden, everyone has loads of room for cake. 

Carrot Cake

Serves 12 - 16

Total Time: 1 hour, plus cooling time

Cake:

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups grated carrots (about 2 - 3 large carrots)

Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick of butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 - 3 T. milk (or cream)

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine flour, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a large bowl. 

Grate 2 - 3 large carrots, enough to equal 3 cups.

Mix carrots into sugar mixture. 

Then stir in the dry ingredients.

Line two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray with a nonstick spray. 

Distribute batter evenly between the two pans. 

YES. You need parchment paper. Carrot cake is so sticky and you will have difficulty getting it out of the pan in one piece if you don't use parchment paper. 

Bake 35 - 40 minutes at 350 degrees, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. 

If you'd like less fuss, you can also bake your cake in a 9 x 13 pan. 

If you choose this method, then bake for 50 - 60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the pan and carefully flipping upside down to remove cake from the pans. Discard parchment paper and let cool thoroughly on a wire rack. Cooling time will take about 1 hour. 

When you take the cakes out of the oven, also take the cream cheese out of the fridge so that it can come to room temperature before you make the frosting. 

Once cakes are cooled, combine cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, milk and nuts (if you so choose) in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. 

Start with 2 T. of milk and gradually add more if you feel like the frosting is too stiff. 

Once cake is cooled, frost and serve!

Recipe from my Mom.