Yummy Yummy Carrot Cake

I made a carrot cake for a friend's birthday and it got rave reviews. Like most things that I bake, I really didn't follow one particular recipe but I used one as an outline and then altered it. Luckily, I wrote it down this time. So, for those of you who asked for the recipe, here it is!

Tarty's Carrot Cake

ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
1 finely grated apple (about 1/2 cup--I cored and grated a whole apple--skin included)
1 cup broken walnuts
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour 3 round cake pans.

In small bowl, combine the dry ingredients and set aside. In large bowl, beat the eggs until very frothy. Slowly add the sugar, beating on high speed, and then beat for 4 minutes. Then add the oil in a slow steady stream while beating. Beat for one minute more.

With a rubber spatula, add the dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Add the carrots, the apple, and then the nuts, folding in gently. Pour batter into the cake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then move to racks and cool completely.

Slice off the tops of two of the cakes, making them evenly flat on top. Let the cakes dry for at least one hour before frosting.

To frost--place a thin layer of about 1/4 of the frosting (recipe below) on a layer that you have cut flat. Spread it to within 1 inch of the edge. Top with another flat layer, again using the same amount of the frosting. Gently place the last layer and top with the remaining frosting and spread it across the sides and the top. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

Frosting Recipe:
1/3 cup soft butter
12 oz (1 1/2 bricks) cream cheese
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Grated zest of one lemon--(important--and make sure the lemon is fresh)

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat on high for at least ten minutes--the longer you beat it the smoother it will become.

This makes a very rich but also very moist cake that will get you lots of compliments.
:-)