Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting

I’ve been craving carrot cake for DAYS.  DAYS I tell ya.  Don’t believe me?  It’s all over my twitter!  LOL!!

I finally drug out my recipes, and WENT TO THE STORE!  All so I could give YOU this, ENJOY!

Gramma Nay’s Scratch Cake

Ingredients for the CAKE:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1.5  tsp cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups grated carrots (2 cups after they are grated, not before)

Ingredients for the ICING:

• 1/2 cup butter (do NOT use spread, its not the same.) {1 stick}
• 1 package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (you CAN use fat free Philly)
• 1 lb (half a large bag) Powdered Sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pecans
• 2 tbs half n half or cream (only if needed)

Prep:

Making this cake is pretty simple.

For the CAKE: 

Preheat oven to 350.  Shred carrots.  You can use a cheese grater, I use my small food processor. 

You need 2 cups after they are shredded.  If you use a small chopper like mine, it takes 2 loads.  :)

In a lrg bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.  Flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, and cinnamon.

For a lighter fluffier cake, SIFT THEM together.  In a small bowl, mix the eggs and oil.  Gradually mix the egg oil mixture into the dry ingredient mixture beating until well incorporated.  The batter will be pretty thick.  Use a spatula scrape the sides of the bowl and then mix in the carrots.  Spread the mixture into a prepared pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes. Do the toothpick test to see if it’s ready.  Then set aside and let cool before icing.  {while its cooling you can make the icing}

For the Icing:

In a large bowl mix the butter , vanilla, and the Philadelphia Cream Cheese. 

Gradually mix in the sugar (if it’s too thick once all the sugar is added add just a smidge of cream)  Gradually mix in the pecans.  Then ice your yummy cake!

I know this recipe looks like its hard.  What it is, is hard to screw up.  The icing is probably the only “tricky” thing, because you will be tempted to thin it out, and then again.  You dont want RUNNY icing!  Avoid the temptation, YOU CAN DO IT!

Good Luck!
~Bunny