*Picture is the cake right after baking and before the frosting!*
This was the first carrot cake I ever liked... Usually the store-made ones I've had are overly sweet but this was very subtle.
I had to bake this for a party my mother was attending.
I used slightly less oil than the recipe asked and also added some nutmeg.
My mother insisted on adding raisins but I can't stand raisins so I portioned out some of the batter without them so I could see how it turned out.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
* 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
* 3 cups grated carrots
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 4 cups confectioners' sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 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.
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.
It turned out very tasty although not remotely sweet at all. I thought it would be sweeter but the taste was quite subtle. The cake was also extremely soft. I'd prefer to eat this without frosting but if being served at a party, I think a cream cheese frosting would go well with this to give it a little bit of a sweet kick.
PS. The pecans are interchangeable with walnuts!
