For years my brother and I competed for the honor of “Best Carrot Cake.” Eventually I gave in and told him “You win! You make the Thanksgiving carrot cake from now to eternity.” He tried to get me to take on that task after a few years, but I declined. I must say, I still make a great carrot cake! I combined the recipes found in an old church cookbook to get just what I wanted. Many thanks to Kathy Beaudoin and Lee Cannon for the source material.

If I make a 3 or 4 layer carrot cake, I double the icing recipe. But then I have extras! What to do? Make a second carrot cake recipe and make it into cupcakes or a sheet cake and use the rest of the icing on that.
The other idea is to make 2 layers, split them and make a 4 layer cake. That uses a bit more icing
Or, just be decadent and eat it like fudge.

Carrot Cake

Recipe by BethCourse: Recipes
Servings

12

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

35

minutes
Calories

300

kcal
Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Ingredients

  • Cake
  • 4 eggs

  • 1 1/2 c. vegetable oil (I use coconut oil)

  • 2 c. sugar

  • 2 c. flour

  • 2 tsp. baking powder

  • 3 tsp. cinnamon

  • 2 tsp. soda

  • 1 tsp. salt

  • 3 c. raw carrots, grated (I don’t measure, but I grate up about 1lb of carrots)

  • 4 Tbsp. hot water

  • Icing
  • 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

  • 1/4 c.butter

  • 1 (1 lb.) box confectioners sugar

  • 2 tsp. vanilla

  • 1 c. chopped nuts (pecans)

Directions

  • Cake
  • Blend sugar and oil. Add eggs. Beat well. Add hot water.
  • Sift dry ingredients. Add to sugar-egg mixture. Beat well.
  • Stir in grated carrots.
  • Pour into 2 or 3 (9-inch) or a 9×13″ greased and floured cake pans. Bake at 350ºF for 25 to 35 minutes.
  • Cool cakes and stack with frosting.
  • Icing
  • Work cheese until soft. Add softened butter. Beat in sugar gradually. Add flavoring ana nuts. Mix and spread.

Notes

  • Mt family loves a 4 layer cake, so I modify this way: bake in 2 layers; when cooled thoroughly, I split the layers horizontally using dental floss so I have 4 layers. Double the icing recipe; don’t add the pecans until after icing between the layers. So — interior has no pecans, but the outside is covered!