Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm still sick...  and there's not much on TV so I'll be spending today finishing up with posting recipes from our recent entertaining.  I've made this carrot cake several times now - once even as cupcakes!  I found the recipe on Pinch My Salt which is one of my favorite sources of recipes...

Carrot Cake 
2 1/3 cups flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrot (about 4 medium carrots)
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3/4 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour two 9-inch or three 8-inch cake pans.

In a large bowl, sift together first six ingredients.  Stir in oil then stir in eggs, one at a time.  Add carrots and stir until well blended then add nuts.  Divide batter between the pans and bake in preheated oven, 30 to 35 minutes for the 8-inch pans or 35 - 45 minutes for the 9-inch pans.  Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted the center comes out clean.  Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for ten minutes, then remove cakes from pans and let cool completely before frosting.  

Cream Cheese Frosting
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of butter (one stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted


With an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar and blend until well combined.  Blend in vanilla extract.  Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.  If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting is at room temp, beat with mixer until smooth).