My mother had this amazing recipe for carrot cake. It is a favorite in our family, even for those not big on sweets. The directions were simple. She just tossed stuff in a bowl without a thought to chemistry, physics and the other things we know are a part of baking. I've revised the method, not really the ingredients, to make a fluffier, fuller cake. Here goes:
PREP:
- Shred 2 cups carrots
Don't use baby carrots, use the medium size ones that are sweeter. - Finely chop up 8 oz of FRESH pineapple.
Canned is what she used, but she frequently forgot to drain it and we had runny cakes. - 1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350.
In mixing bowl
- Mix 4 eggs until thoroughly mixed.
- Add 1 1/2 oil and mix until the eggs and oil are a continuous texture - this is key.
- Add 2 cups sugar, mix well for 30 seconds or so
Sift in:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Add in carrots, pineapple and nuts.
Bake 45 minutes.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING - WHEN COMPLETELY COOLED or it will melt off to the sides
- 1/2 cup butter (she used margarine. I'm not a petroleum product fan in baked items)
- 8 oz cream cheese - the brick, not the tub stuff. You can use lowfat, but you're already using butter - just have fun with it
- 1 tsp vanilla - real, not imitation
- 1 lb (16 oz) powdered sugar.
Cream together and spread over cake. Add more chopped pecans to the frosting if you'd like.
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