Afternoon Delight: Carrot Cake

{ Challenge #12 : Recipe 15/100 }
Corner Piece

I didn't expect to bake anything today until I looked in our fridge and saw some carrots that had been abandoned for a week - then I looked in the pantry and saw that I had all the ingredients necessary to make an amazing carrot cake.

The recipe is below but instead of using 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil, I used 1 cup of oil and 1/4 cup apple sauce. Another alteration I made was the amount of sugar. Instead of mixing in 2 cups of sugar, I put in 1 and 3/4 cups. I'm not too fond of super sweet cakes... plus the icing would take the sweetness over the top. The cake still turned out wonderful. The husband cherished every bite. 

Carrot Cake

{ By Tami Elliot }

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

 To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.