Carrot Cake

March is a month long party over here.  We celebrate both mine and my husband's birthday and our anniversary, all within the first two weeks. That being the case, I have an excuse to bake a cake.  Just one cake is more than enough for all three celebrations though! 

This year I decided to whip up a Carrot Cake.  Aren't those carrots on top just the cutest?!?!? Loving it!!  :)  Cuteness aside, this cake is by far one of the best cake recipes in my collection.  The best way I know how to describe it is moist, and I'm not just saying that!  Not sure how much it's the recipe or the pan, probably a combination of the two.  Either way, I don't think anyone could mess this one up.

Carrot Cake:

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. sugar

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. ground cinnamon

3 c. finely shredded carrot

1 c. cooking oil

4 eggs

In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking poweder, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Add carrot, oil, and eggs.  Beat until combined.  Pour into two greased and floured 9x1.5 inch round baking pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for ten minutes before removing from the pans.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

6 oz. cream cheese

1/2 c. softened butter

2 t. vanilla

4.5 cups sifted powdered sugar

In a bowl beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla till light and fluffy.  Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating well. Continue to gradually add the remaining powdered sugar until the frosting has a spreading consistency.

Those sweet little carrots on top that I'm adoring are so easy, here I'll show you.  Sketch out a carrot pattern.  Once you have it like you want it trace it onto parchment paper, duplicating it for however many carrots you'd like.  Make sure you turn the paper over, so the ink is on the under side before drawing the design.  Next melt some white chocolate chips in the microwave.  Stir the white chocolate well, then pour it into a decorator's bag with a fine tip.

Then just trace the carrot pattern.  Don't worry if you draw outside the lines, as long as it's thin, it will break off.

After you have the outline complete, make a pattern in the carrot shape.  I chose to do a zig-zag pattern but you could do whatever you would like.  Get creative!  Place them in the freezer for about half an hour to set.  That's all, see, cheesy easy.

My original plan was to make the carrots orange and the tops green, but that was a bust.  The food coloring caused the chocolate to turn into a dry blob.  If anyone knows how to do that with chocolate please tell me!!  (Oh the possibilities!)

The taste buds approved even without any colors!!

Thanks for dropping by,

Just for fun, I'm linking up at these great sites: the crafty blog stalker, the shabby creek cottage, easy living mom, house of hepworths; artsy fartsy mama; chic on a shoestring decorating; shabby nest, serenity now blog; sew-licious, cheeriosandlattes, i am only 1 woman, call me pmc, too-much-time, be different act normal, i heart naptime, flamingo toes, create-with-joy, keeping it simple crafts, making the world cuter, skip to my lou, creating really awesome free things, watch out martha, spatulas on parade, blackberry vine, today's creative blog, kathe with an e, funky polkadot giraffe, do small things with love, my girlish whims, lady behind the curtain, creations by kara, lil luna, semi homemade mom, i gotta create, mom on time out, happy and blessed home, the ny melrose family, housewife how to's