When Alexandra joined this summer's Recipe Party and sent me a recipe for carrot cake, I'm sure she had no idea that my husband loves carrot cake or that I was on the hunt for a good recipe. This recipe fulfills both needs - tasty and easy. Alexandra claimed that for her family, this was the best carrot cake recipe out there. I think the things that make this a really delightful recipe are that there is nothing really fancy about it - no pineapple or coconut or frills or lace, just straightforward carrot cake that still somehow manages to be super moist and delicious.
We made cupcakes (makes a little more than 24) instead of a large cake and they were still super moist and tender. However, we left out the walnuts (though I would have enjoyed them, but my kids don't like them), and we also used butter instead of margarine in the frosting. Thanks Alexandra for a great recipe!
WHAT YOU NEED:
CAKE -
4 eggs
1 1/4 C vegetable oil
2 C white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups grated carrot (just run a 1 lb bag of baby carrots through the shredding disc of your food processor - it will equal a little over 3 C, and you don't have to peel carrots)
1 C chopped walnuts
ICING-
1 stick margarine - softened
1 8oz brick cream cheese - softened
1 1lb bag/box of powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
extra walnuts to sprinkle on top of cake
WHAT TO DO:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 in. pan
Mix together wet ingredients plus sugar
Mix together dry ingredients
MIx wet and dry ingredients together
pour into pan and bake for approx. 55 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
cool cake completely in pan
With an electric mixer, beat the icing ingredients until smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cake and sprinkle with extra walnuts.
I made this cake this afternoon and it made the house smell Amazing! Haven't had a bite yet - waiting to surprise the hubby after dinner!
Posted by: Amanda | July 08, 2009 at 04:55 PM