carrot cake

For some reason I've been having this weird craving for carrot cake. Carrot cake with copious amounts of cream cheese frosting. Because there's carrots in it means this cake is healthy right? Right.

This recipe makes 2 cakes. I froze one (unfrosted). Halve the amount of frosting if you're saving one for later.

cake:

2 C sugar

1 1/3 C vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 C + 1 tbsp flour, divided

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 C raisins

1 C chopped walnuts

3 C grated carrots

frosting:

2 pkgs cream cheese, room temperature

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 lb icing sugar, sifted

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment. Butter and flour the parchment.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, eggs and oil until light. Add the vanilla and mix.

3. In another bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Toss the raisins and walnuts with 1 tbsp of flour then add the carrots and toss again. Add to the batter and mix until combined (but don't over mix!)

4. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool completely in the pans on a wire rack before frosting.

For frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until no lumps remain. Add the butter and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and icing sugar and mix again.