Carrot cake

Cake
Flour, all-purpose	2 cups
Sugar	2 cups
Baking powder	1 teaspoon
Baking soda	1 teaspoon
Cinnamon, ground	1 teaspoon
Carrot, finely shredded	3 cups
Cooking oil	1 cup
Eggs	4
Frosting
Cream cheese, room temperature	8 ounces
Butter, softened	½ cup
Vanilla extract	2 teaspoons
Powdered sugar, sifted	4 ½ to 4 ¾ cups
Walnut halves	Garnish, optional

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. Add carrot, oil, and eggs.
4. Beat with an electric mixer until combined.
5. Pour into two greased and floured 9x1 ½-inch round baking pans.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
7. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, and then remove cakes from pans; cool thoroughly on racks before frosting.

Frosting

1. Beat together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating well.
3. Gradually beat in enough of the remaining sugar to make frosting of spreading consistency.

Notes:

• Try walnut oil, or other flavorful oils, instead of vegetable oil, which is somewhat flavorless in this type of dish.
• Why oil, and not butter? Oil keeps the cake moist and light. Using butter causes the cake to be denser, and it solidifies too much when refrigerated.
• If a friend, who will go unnamed, borrows your baking rounds, you might try (as I did) jumbo muffin tins. This creates 12 perfectly sized carrot cakes that are easy to share, if you are so inclined.
• I find that baking is vastly easier than frosting the finished product. Often, I must dub it 'modern art'...

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.