Grandma Cookie's Carrot Cake

My mom, a.k.a. Grandma Cookie, is the best cook!  I'm sure I learned my love for cooking from her.  She always made the best  meals for us growing up which is no small task since I have 8 siblings!  I remember her always bringing in the best homemade goodies to elementary school.  I still have former classmates that talk about how they remember her delicious treats too.  When Mom and Dad got married in 1970 they received a cookbook from my great grandma that had this recipe for carrot cake in it.  It is one of Mom's specialties and truly a family favorite.

Grandma Cookie's Carrot Cake

2 C. flour

2 C. sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 Cups oil (Canola, vegetable, etc)

*you could substitute apple sauce for 1/2 of the oil for healthier version 3/4 C oil 3/4 C apple sauce

4 eggs

3-4 C. grated carrots

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda and powder, and cinnamon into a mixing bowl.  Add the oil and eggs.  Mix until incorporated.  Fold in the grated carrots.  Grease 2- 9" or 10" pans (could use one 13"x9" as well).  Cut out parchment paper to cover the bottom of the pan and line the bottom with parchment then grease again.  Sprinkle a little flour in the pan and shake pan to cover with flour.  Divide the batter between pans.  Bake for approximately 35 minutes when using 2 round pans, additional time may be necessary for using 13x9" pan.  

Cream cheese frosting

8 oz. cream cheese (at room temp.)

1/2 C. butter (at room temp.)

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 C. chopped nuts (optional)

1 tsp. vanilla

Blend cream cheese with butter until smooth.  Add vanilla and powdered sugar.  Fold in nuts if using. 

Wait until the cake is completely cooled and then frost.  I added coconut (toasted is even better) on the top of this cake.  I also filled it with a coconut cake filling that I got from Martha Stewart (my evil twin).  I made 1/2 of the recipe and it was a lot.

I like to use my good vanilla in my frostings/fillings.  Because when you bake with vanilla it usually cooks off, I use my cheaper vanilla when I bake.  See this article about vanilla from Cooks Illustrated.  My preference is vanilla bean paste.  Usually I use Nielsen-Massey brand but my dear friend, Pam, sent me some from New Zealand where she lives.  Thanks Pam!