Emma's Vegetarian Kitchen: Carrot Cake

I realized that I was severely lacking in the dessert department on this blog, so I thought I'd try to remedy that situation. My mom is famous for her amazing carrot cake, so I had her teach me how to make it. The original recipe comes from this weird Holiday cookbook that JCPenney randomly published in 1996. My mom's perfected the recipe anyway, so who cares where the original is from?

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
Cake
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 and 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups flour
Frosting
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 to 1 box powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional
green and orange cake decorating frosting

Note: We made two cakes.

Serves: 12 (430 calories per piece); Prep time: about 30 minutes; Cook time: 35 - 45 minutes

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Peel and grate the carrots. We used a Food Processor for the latter.

3. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat them. Add the oil and continue to beat.

4. Sift the dry ingredients (minus the carrots, obviously).

5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the eggs and oil mixture and beat.

6. Sample your fine work.

7. Gently fold in the carrots.

8. Pour the cake batter into a cake pan that has been lightly sprayed and floured. We have a spray with flour in it.

9. Bake for 35 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean.

10. Let the cakes cool. Meanwhile, put all of the ingredients for the frosting in a mixing bowl and beat. My mom tends to use a full box of powdered sugar, but if you want it a little less sweet or diabetes-inducing, you can use a mere half box.