I'm sure it never ever happens to anyone else, but occasionally (ahem!), I forget what I already have at home and buy it again at the supermarket. Hence, I found myself putting the second one-pound bag of carrots into the refrigerator last week and wondering what on earth I could do with a bumper crop of carrots.
I've never actually made carrot cake, but it's one of those things that is always surprisingly good when I do have it. I decided to find a recipe and came up with one in my son's school's fundraising cookbook from 2006. This recipe was contributed by Kassy White, who had three sons at the school, and although I've never met her, I applaud her.
I made cupcakes, but the baking time was the same as the recipe prescribes for three layer cakes. I ended up with too many cupcakes, but they were so good! The only drag is grating all the carrots, which I did by hand, but it's well worth the effort.
And all that vitamin A is so nutritious, right?
Carrot Cake
1 1/2 cups oil (canola works well)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated carrots (I just grated the whole bag's worth)
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine sugar and oil, then add eggs.
2. Sift flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Add to sugar/oil/egg mixture and mix well.
3. Add vanilla and grated carrots.
4. Pour batter into three greased (8 inch) layer cake pans, or two one-dozen cupcake or muffin tins either greased or lined with paper.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool completely and then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter
8 ounces cream cheese (any kind will work)
1 package or box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1. Soften the butter and cream cheese, then beat together with an electric mixer.
2. Add confectioners' sugar, a bit at a time, then the vanilla, until frosting is of spreading consistency.
3. Frost the cake or cupcakes.
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