Foster's Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Of all the slices of cake to be had in the world, I would very nearly always choose a slice of carrot cake. Spiced, sweet, and with just enough vegetable to make it practically a side dish, a hunk of carrot cake is easy to rationalize.

Making a carrot cake takes a tad bit more coaxing. Peeling, grating, mixing, folding, baking, icing: these steps are not worth doing unless you know that every last bite will be utterly worth it. This, my friends, is a recipe you can go ahead and count on. 

I have yet to have something from The Foster's Market Cookbook that wasn't fantastic. Thoughtful comfortable recipes fill each page. I turn to it like a new friend that feels old.

Saturday we took Stephen's sister and Penny to the lake for the afternoon. It was our first time to get Penny near water and we were desperate to see the result. She lept from the canoe as soon as we hit shore and spent the next two hours chasing the water like all of our lives depended on her critical efforts. Oh what joy to see a puppy have a good time.

After all that, we came home, bathed her, started making supper and then made this cake. All the while Penny rested after her hard day's work.

Foster's Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting makes one 9-inch two layer cake

4 cups peeled and grated carrots

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (I do not use the nuts)

1 cup dark raisins (I plump mine in a bit of hot water, drain, and then use)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

(I added 1 teaspoon ground ginger)

4 large eggs

1 cup canola oil

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease two 9 inch cake pans

2. Mix carrots, nuts, raisins in a bowl and set aside

3. Sift flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Set aside

4. Whisk eggs, oil, sugars and vanilla. Whisk until well combined

5. Fold in flour mixture. Do not overmix. Add carrot mixture

6. Divide evenly in two pans. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean

7. Remove form oven and let cool in pans 10-15 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

8. For frosting: Combine butter and cream cheese. Whip until smooth. Add other ingredients. Whip until smooth. Enjoy!

Comments

[Emily]

Mmmmm! I am a recent carrot cake convert! I will have to give this one a shot! I also really love your carrot cake muffins! Those would be great with a tiny bit of that cream cheese frosting!

Penny looks totally tuckered! I love that she loves the water! When I first read this I thought she jumped out of the canoe mid-paddle. Glad to hear that wasn't the case!

[Healthy Foods Blog]

Oh my! The cake looks adorable and with very much high quality! Great work. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

- Tera

[Stephen]

i haven't met a cake from this blog that i did not like and this carrot cake is the best i have ever had.

[Personal Injury Attorney Alaska]

Oh this cake looks like it is to die for!!! Must try it, I haven't made carrot cake for years but this is the one to make me bake another one!