Homemade Carrot Cake

I have vivid memories from my childhood of eating my Mom's homemade carrot cake. She didn't make it all that often but I remember my thoughts whenever I ate it: "This is the best cake ever!". Of course, I had no idea as a child that this had carrots in it and was so surprised the first time I ever found out. I'm not sure who first discovered carrot cake, but it really is a magical, secret and brilliant thing. Oh, and it's the one cake I know of that gets moister (not drier) with time.

Homemade Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

From allrecipes.com

Yield: one large cake

Total Time: about 1 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

{for the frosting}

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9x13-inch pan. 

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. If using, fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan. 

Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan. 

{To make the frosting}

In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cake and, if desired, top with chopped pecans.