Carrot Cake

I had been craving carrot cake for the longest time before I made this. I don’t really know why. Come to think of it, I don’t know if I’d ever even tasted carrot cake before. But when I came across this no-frills recipe from The Pioneer Woman, I knew I’d have to make it someday. And a few weekends ago, I finally did! This cake was all that I had hoped it would be. It’s fluffy and moist, with just the right amount of sweetness and carroty flavor. And the cream cheese frosting that goes on top is to die for.

The cake starts with some sugar…

Oil…

And eggs. Throw these all into a large bowl and mix together.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and some cinnamon.

And hey, while we’re on the subject or baking soda/powder, here are some cinnamon rolls I made a few weeks ago. Don’t they look yummy?

Yeah, well, they were. Except for the fact that I halved the recipe and accidentally used the full amount of baking soda and powder. We still ate some of them, of course. But they definitely didn’t rise in the right way.

Aaaaaand we’re back! Forget about the cinnamon rolls, add the flour mixture to the eggs and sugar, and give it a stir.

Yum! But we’re not done yet.

Here’s the star of the show.

You’ll want about 2 cups of shredded carrots.

You’ll also want to make a mess all over your counters.

Just kidding. You know, looking back on it, I wonder why I didn’t take advantage of the food processor that was sitting on the counter behind me.

Stir the carrots into the batter and behold the orangey glory.

I loaded my batter into these cute little tins, but you can bake this cake in anything you want. Bundt pans, sheet pans, 9×13 inch Pyrex dishes, it all works just fine!

Pop the cake in a 350 F oven. The cake will bake for anywhere between 25 minutes for a sheet cake to 50 minutes for a Bundt pan. Meanwhile, make the insanely good frosting,

Cream up some butter and cream cheese…

And add in a whole buncha powdered sugar and some vanilla.

Oh my.

And, just to add to the decadence, chop up some pecans.

Stir these into the frosting and sigh. Then proceed to swipe your finger through and give it a lick. Repeat.

Ooh, the cakes are done!

Let them cool completely– and I mean completely– before frosting. If you want to, you can freeze the unfrosted cakes.

Then cut yourself a slice and enjoy! Eat as much as you want because it’s healthy! Right? I mean, it has carrots in it…

And sugar…

And frosting…

But that’s all okay because this cake has the nutritional value of carrots. At least that’s what I tell myself.

Here’s the condensed version for you:

Carrot Cake

from crumbsandnibbles.com, originally from thepioneerwoman.com

Makes 1 bundt cake or sheet cake (or 4 mini loaves)

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

4 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups of grated carrots

For the frosting:

1 stick of softened salted butter

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1 pound powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup of finely chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, eggs, and oil. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon in another large bowl.

2. Add flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. Stir in carrots.

3. Grease and flour pan(s)– either one bundt pan, one sheet pan, a 9×13 inch pyrex dish, 4 mini loaf pans, or muffin tins– and pour in the batter. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean (anywhere from 25-50 minutes depending on your pan).

4. For the frosting, cream butter and cream cheese before adding in powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in the nuts and spread on the cooled cakes.

Yay. Delish. Happy nibbling!