Grandma's Carrot Cake


I love Easter. Jesus came to earth, died on the cross and rose again, saving us from our sins and providing us with a way to live eternally with Him. That's why I love Easter.

But there's something else.



Tim's a youth pastor, right? That means that Easter is his 2nd busiest day of the year next to Christmas Eve. Since it's difficult for us to travel anywhere on these days, it means that I have control. Yes, I am a control freak by nature, and I've learned not to apologize for it. I'm naturally more like Monica in Friends — I want to be the host. This is one of very few days of the year where family comes to us, and I get to have complete control over the menu.

Let's put it this way: God didn't put me in politics for a reason. Too much power goes to my head.

So I'm going to post what my spread will be this Easter. First and foremost, let's start with dessert. That's the way to do it, right? While there are thousands of options out there, I'm going to stick with a classic: my grandma's carrot cake.


Now let me explain something. My grandma is anything but normal. And neither is this cake. See, Grandma has the world fooled. She grew up in a very conservative environment (nothing wrong with that), so you might naturally assume that she's a quiet, timid woman. That's hardly the truth. She's got a wild streak that I feel fortunate to have witnessed on many occasions. One time she paid me $20 to keep my mouth shut about some of her antics. So I won't talk about it. But I'm just sayin', my nickname for her is "sexy." That should give you a clue or two.


Cake Ingredients:
  • 3 cups sifted flour (sifted twice)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups grated or shredded carrots
  • 4 eggs well beaten
  • 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts


Frosting Ingredients:
  • 1 eight oz. block of cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 box of powdered sugar


Directions:



First, crack the eggs and pour the oil into a large bowl (preferably a stand mixer). Mix well.



Slowly add sugar, combining.



Add vanilla. Mix well.



Add flour in small increments, mixing continually.



Add baking powder.



Then the baking soda.



And finally, the salt.



Throw in the cinnamon. Mix well.



Grab a handful of nuts. Some people use only pecans, but I chose to use mixed nuts.



Using a food processor or something similar, chop up the nuts.



Combine nuts into dough mixture.



These are the carrots I used. Pre-shredded.



Toss the carrot shreds in to the food processor.



Chop 'em up and throw 'em into the dough mixture. Combine.



Next we're going to flour the cake pans. I used 2 8" round cake pans. Cover the inside of each pan with butter.



Dust with some extra flour, dumping out the excess.



Pour the dough into the pans.



Bake at 350 degrees F for about one hour, or until cooked thoroughly. You can test this by putting a toothpick in the middle of the cake, and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.



Allow to cool for about 20 minutes, then remove from pan.



Very gently, using a bread knife, cut the top off the cakes so that they are even.

Let's start on the frosting.



Beat together butter, cream cheese and vanilla.



Add powdered sugar and mix until well-combined.



Okay, let's start with the frosting. Place one of the halves on a cake stand.



Dump on some of the frosting.



Spread out evenly.



Top with second half of cake.



Scoop another large bit of frosting on top of the cake.



Spread out as evenly as possible, as thin as possible.



Spread out a second layer of frosting.



Using a damp paper towel, wipe down any crumbs or frosting smudges.



You can decorate this however you'd like. I like the whole carrot look.



Carrot cake=Easter classic.


Love and Grandma recipes,

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