In honor of my dear husband's birthday today, I thought I'd post my recipe for his favorite birthday cake--the carrot cake.
Everybody say HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dave!!! (Go on--say it!) I won't tell you how old (young?) he is this year...but I will tell you...it's his last chance to say he's in his 40's! *grin*
Yes, yes, this is the same carrot cake recipe I promised I would post last year. Better late than never, right?
Please guard this recipe with your LIFE. If you will follow these directions, I promise you people will fall at your feet to make this recipe. Okay, maybe not fall at your feet... But, they will beg you. Seriously--this recipe is to die for.
Don't think I'm just bragging on my own recipe. Because this baby is straight from Allrecipes.com. I just tweaked it, according to what people said in the comments. So, full credit for the pure yummy-ness in this recipe goes to Allrecipes and her commenters.
Here's the recipe, with a few modifications:
Ingredients
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated baby carrots
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar--to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
In my opinion, this is the ONLY way to grate the carrots! Use the grating attachment, and watch those carrots fly.
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (or spray with Baker's Joy) a bundt (or 9x13) pan. Also, I use baby carrots because I think they're sweeter. (and easier!)
In large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, sugars, and vanilla. Mix together dry ingredients in separate bowl--flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Slowly, pour dry ingredients into wet and mix. Stir in shredded carrots. Fold in pecans (I usually don't add pecans to my cake.) Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT OVERBAKE and dry out this beautiful cake! Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto your platter to cool.
MK's addition: While cake is still warm, spread a thin layer of the icing onto the cake. The warm icing melting into the cake makes the cake super-moist! Finish frosting the cake once it is completely cooled.
To make frosting: While cake is baking, in a medium bowl, combine softened butter, softened cream cheese, and vanilla and blend until creamy. A little at a time, add in the confectioners' sugar, beating until creamy each time. You can either stir in the chopped pecans, or add the chopped pecans to the top of the frosted cake.
Final step: Cut a sizeable piece of warm cake, pour yourself a glass of cold milk, sit in a comfy chair, and ENJOY.
Store this beautiful cake in the refrigerator. Besides eating a warm piece, I like eating this cake best after it has cooled in the fridge overnight.
P.S. I have GOOD NEWS for Dave's office! You just might get to eat some of Dave's birthday carrot cake at your boring informative meeting! Please be sure to SING Happy Birthday to the ole boy.
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