Dina's Fabulous Carrot Cake
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe simply rocks so much! I got the recipe for the frosting from a friend of mine who sends me a lot of vintage or old-timey recipes.
Enjoy!
Ingredients You'll Need
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger (fine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups finely grated peeled carrots (you can use the shredded kind from the grocery store)
1 cup walnuts (coarse chopped)
Icing
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature (not the low-fat version it won't set properly)
1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter (Use Plugra, Amish or Kerrygold brands for flavor), room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (xxx or confectioners grade is ok)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (optional, but amazing w/carrot cake)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350
Coat 2x 9 inch (need to be at least 1.5 inches high) cake pans with butter, then dust with flour.
Mix sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl until well blended.
Slowly add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt; beat until blended.
Stir in carrots and walnuts. Divide batter between pans.
Bake cakes about 30-32 minutes. Check with toothpick at about 25 mins.
Cool cakes in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run small knife between pan sides and cakes to loosen them. Gently turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate cake 2 hours to set.
Icing
Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Slllllowly add powdered sugar, syrup, and vanilla; beat until smooth.
