Carrot Cake

A few people at work know about my blog and have looked at it at one point or another. One person in particular mentioned that he'd read it (I get super excited when people read my blog!) and sent me a carrot cake recipe. Let me tell you- it was super yummy! Unfortunately he was sick when I brought a few pieces in to work, but I did get to some him how it turned out. This was my first bundt cake so I was really nervous (given my history with things sticking to pans), but between the non-stick pan, butter and flour, it came out perfectly. Thanks Piermont, for the recipe, and thanks Mom, for the use of your bundt cake pan!

This kosher Jewish cake was a hit on Easter. I didn't realize the irony of it until Easter AM. Haha!





Source: Jewish Holiday Kitchen - Joan Nathan

Serves 8-10 (Dairy)

Cake
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1½ cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated raw carrots (1 pound)
4 eggs
½ cup chopped walnuts ( I left these out. After 27 years of never eating nuts I've actually starting eating them very sparingly, but I prefer a smooth consistancy when it comes to desserts like this.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt or tube pan. I used a non-stick pan, but even if that is what you use, you still must do this step or the cake might stick! 

Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In another bowl, mix the sugar and vegetable oil thoroughly.

Add the carrots and blend well.

Add the eggs, one a time, to the carrot mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in the nuts (if you choose to add them). Then gradually add the flour mixture, blending well.

Pour batter into the bundt pan.

 Bake for 1 hour, cool before frosting. I let my cake cool overnight, mostly because I didn't get it out of the oven until almost midnight!

 
 
Frosting
3 ounces cream cheese

¼ cup butter or margarine
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
 

When Cake is cool, blend together the above ingredients and frost.

For some reason I was expecting the frosting to call for a lot more cream cheese. In case you were thinking the same thing, don't worry- it tastes wonderful! Anything with cream cheese in the ingredients is a winner in my book.

Cream Cheese, butter...

powdered sugar...

and lemon juice.

I also added about 1-2 Tbs of milk because the frosting was too dry. I'm very glad I made the confectioners icing for my frosted butter cookies because I knew the milk would be the perfect solution to my dry-icing dilemna.

Ice the cake using a spatula. It goes on easily and looks nice, but I was a little sad (maybe even hesitant) to cover up my perfect bundt cake!

This cake was a hit on Easter and it serves a lot more people that the  recipe says (Maybe 20? More?), unless you cut the cake into giant 5 lb pieces. I'll definitely be making it again!