Carrot Cake

For me, Easter would not be complete without carrot cake. It's one of my favorites anyway!

Mom and I whipped up a homemade two-layer cake that turned out great! The recipe comes from her Uncle Steve and he credits the John Paul Getty Museum in LA for it. Regardless of its roots, it's very simple and delicious!

{we decorated the top at the very last minute with sugar sprinkles!}

{the cake uses a decadent cream cheese frosting}

Carrot Cake

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Cake Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup corn oil

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup crushed pineapple. drained

Icing Ingredients (not pictured):

1/2 cup butter

1 8 oz softened cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1 lb of confectioners sugar

*we made 1.5 of the icing recipe just to ensure we had enough to ice the two layers thickly

First, you need to shred the carrots more finely:

It didn't take long in here...

Perfect.

In a large bowl, first combine the dry ingredients with a spoon or spatula.

Add the corn oil

The 3 eggs

Vanilla

Carrots

Walnuts

Drained pineapple.

Now, mix all together with a spoon. I don't think it requires a mixer. The batter will be pretty thick and not very runny like a typical cake mix. Just don't be alarmed! Pour it into 2 well greased cake pans, or a 9 x 13 pan.

Put in the oven and bake at 350 for 1 hour:

Test the center with a toothpick, and also do the bounce-back test. Let them cool completely.

To make the icing, start with softened butter. It must be softened!

Add the cream cheese:

And the vanilla.

Beat with hand mixer. Once that is all combined, slowly add in the confectioner's sugar:

Mix until it's the right consistency.

Frost the cake!

At the last minute, Mom and I decided it needed a little something extra. I found some sugar sprinkles in the pantry and decided to make a carrot stencil. I used an exacto knife and some thick paper. It was really quick and easy!

It turned out pretty cute! And, tasted even better!!

Update:

I made this recipe in cupcake form in 2012. The cake recipe remains the same and it will give you 24 cupcakes. For the icing, just make 1/2 of the recipe above. Delicious and cute!