Carrot Cake

Growing up I always liked carrot cake, but I honestly never knew how good it could be until I found this recipe in Favorite Brand Name Bake Sale Cookbook and gave it a try. This recipe is soooo moist. Everyone who's tried it has loved it. I think one of the secrets to it is that I use about double the cinnamon that the recipe calls for.

Cake

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

3 cups shredded carrots

1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts

Icing

8 ozs cream cheese

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour bottom and sides of pan. Please note, if you use one 9X13, it makes the cake VERY thick, especially once you add the icing. I've made this cake with three 8- or 9-inch rounds, and this last time I made it with a 9X13 and an 8X8 and it came out rather perfectly. Next, shred the carrots.

Beat eggs and oil in large bowl.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir until combined.

Add carrots and nuts and mix well.

Pour into prepared pans and bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

While cake is baking, start icing by placing butter and cream cheese into bowl to soften. Once cake is baked, let cool completely before icing. While cake is cooling, cream butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and mix well. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix well after each addition. Frost the cake, and enjoy your first amazing bite of from scratch carrot cake!