"The" Carrot Cake

 After nearly 40 years of trying carrot cake recipes I have found a new "favorite"!

 Ben has been talking about carrot cake for some time...wanting that for my birthday and also Courtney's recent birthday...so, I thought I would go on the hunt for a good recipe and this particular choice did not disappoint!

Carrot Cake:

2  1/4 cups flour (plus some for dusting pans)

1  1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1  1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1  1/2 cups canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350.   Brush 2  9" round cake pans with butter.  Line with parchment paper and brush with butter again and dust with flour.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.  Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar and eggs and beat at low speed until well combined.  Add oil in a slow steady stream until mixture is smooth.  Add flour mixture, vanilla, and grated carrots.  Mix on low speed until well combined.  Divide batter between the two pans.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.  Allow pans to cool on rack for about ten minutes and then remove cake from pans and remove the parchment paper.  Allow to cool completely.

Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting.

I purchased a Russell Stover Chocolate Bunny to place on top and when I opened it the bunny was broken beyond repair.  Ben went to the local grocery market and found the chocolate bunnies must be adorning children's Easter baskets...he purchased the only one remaining on the shelf.

My plan was to paint the bunny with edible paint but time was running short so I opted to use candy melts instead.

I hope you enjoy this cake recipe!

The "carrots" are actually Circus Peanuts that I made a hole in one end and inserted cut up green licorice to resemble carrot tops!