Carrot Cake

So Saturday when I got to my parents house my Mom immediately asked me what I was baking the next day... Me, not having given it that much thought, had an interesting revelation, it went something like this in my head:  Easter.... bunnies.... bunnies eat carrots.. ummm "Carrot Cake!" Mom: okay, sounds good... Thanks for the enthusiasm Mom... Well, at least my Dad freaks out everytime I bake a cake, Mom doesn't let him have sweets, you see... poor guy (sorry I outed you Mom).

But this carrot cake was SO GOOD, and yea, I know I say that about everything I bake.  But, so far, everything I've made has been that good!  This one is from PW and has an awesome cream cheese frosting on top! I'm kind of sad I left in such a hurry Monday morning, I left it all there... You see it was 85 outside that day, and I wanted to layout all day, and left the cake in Huntsville... super sad day...

Ingredients: (I am going to preface this by saying I halfed the recipe, the whole recipe makes a 9x13 sheet cake)
For cake (whole recipe):
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bakind soda
1 tsp  ground cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots

For frosting:
1 lb powdered sugar (~4 cups)
1 stick regular butter, softened
8oz cream cheese (I use 1/3 less fat)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, chopped finely

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Choose a pan and decide how much you want.  For the full recipe, you can use a sheet cake or a bundt cake.  I halved the recipe and used an 8x8 pyrex dish.

2.  Start by grating 1 cup of carrots (2 cups for full recipe).  Then set it aside.

Hold the carrot like so (after you chop the end off).

Then grate it up! Now, isn't that the prettiest orange you've ever seen???

3.  Mix together the sugar, oil, and eggs in an electric mixer with the whisk attachment.

4.  In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Add to the sugar/egg mixture and mix it all together.  Make sure you scrape down the sides.

5.  Add the carrots to that mixture, and mix it all together!!

Ahh that color... that batter.. sooo good!

The carrots turn the color of the batter to a prettier color!

6.  Bake at 350 for 25 mins (for sheet cake or smaller) or 50 mins (for bundt cake).  Insert toothpick to make sure its cooked all the way through!!  And please, before you clean out the bowl, lick it... I had to jerk the bowl away from my Mom because she was licking it so much...

Now make your frosting!!!!

These are the only ingredients you need!!

1.  In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and cream cheese.

2.  Add the sugar and vanilla into the mixture, and mix all together, make sure you scrape down the sides.

3.  Chop up the pecans, and add them to the mixture.  Mix throughly.

4.  Smooth over a cooled carrot cake, and serve!!

If you're like me, once you cut it up, you immediately need a little bite... I told my Dad that Mom did it... I swear im not 5...

HEAVEN... Easter heaven :)

Happy baking! And have a great week!