Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Mom's Favorite Carrot Cake!

This month, my mom celebrated her 50th birthday – so I decided to try my hand at her favorite cake – carrot cake! I have to say it was a success!

Cake Ingredient List:
4 eggs
2 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of baking soda
3 cups of finely shredded carrots
¾ cup cooking oil
½ cup finely chopped pecans
¼ cup raisins (optional)



Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredient List:
1 8oz package of cream cheese
½ cup of butter
2 teaspoons of vanilla
6 (ish) cups of powdered sugar



Cake Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour two round cake pans
2. Beat 4 eggs and allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes
3. Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda) in large mixing bowl until well incorporated
4. Combine eggs, carrots, oil and raisins in separate bowl



Carrots should be finely shredded or they will sink to the
bottom of the batter. I used a cheese grater.

5. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients, mixing until fully combined
6. Pour batter into pans


7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean
8. Let sit in pans for 10 (ish) minutes
9. Take out of pans and let fully cool on wire racks



10. Once cake is cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting
11. Use crushed pecans in between cake layers and on top (optional)


Cream Cheese Frosting Steps
1. Let cream cheese and butter sit at room temperature to soften
2. Whip cream cheese
3. Slowly cut in butter, continue to whip until creamy
4. Add vanilla
5. Slowly add in powdered sugar (2 cups at a time) until you have reached frosting consistency




I used an electric mixer to whip the frosting.
Make sure it is not too creamy or thin.



I added frosting and the crushed pecans inbetween the layers.



I refrigerated the cake after frosting and it set overnight before the big day. The cake turned out great, it was moist and the frosting was delicious. The toughest part was shredding the carrots – 3 cups is quite a bit!

My mom loved the cake and was very impressed that I made it from scratch.
Enjoy!

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother"
Abraham Lincoln





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