Wednesday Kitchen - Carrot Cake

Happy Wednesday! This week in the JET Team kitchen, Michele of MAlves1009 shares her absolutely delicious recipe for carrot cake...

I had never made carrot cake before, as I figured it was difficult to make. And then I was invited to a get together with friends and family - I was asked to bring a dessert, and I knew they all liked carrot cake.

So, I thought I'd give it a try at last and - if it didn't work out - I knew I could always run and get something from the bakery!

For the Carrot Cake

• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1¼ cups oil (I used canola)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional - I used walnuts)
• 1 cup raisins (optional - I left these out as my family don't care for them)
• ¼ cup coconut flakes

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

To Make

1. In a bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, then set aside
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, 2 tablespoons milk, oil, sugars and vanilla until firm
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix for about 2 minutes
4. Add the grated carrots, nuts and/or raisins. Mix well until everything is combined
5. Pour batter into floured cake pans - I used a double, but you can use any cake pan you like
6. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, turning and checking after 20 minutes







7. While the cake is baking, make your frosting...
8. In a mixing bowl beat together cream cheese and butter until creamy
9. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and mix until smooth
10. Once the cake is cooled, add your frosting and sprinkle with nuts if you wish

To make sure I liked how this recipe turned out, I made a few mini cupcakes to taste. And I have to say, it came out really well!

When I walked in with the cake, everyone said "Oh, Carrot Cake! My favorite!", and they all loved it. I do hope you will try this recipe, and enjoy it as much as they did!

Michele