Simple Carrot Cake
Tom loves carrot cake, but it's not something I've made much. Now that we're expanding our menu thanks to our Menu Planning Cards, I needed a recipe for carrot cake. I'm all about doing things as simply and as straight-forward as possible- otherwise it won't get done. I looked around on-line for a recipe that would be both simple to make and simple in flavors to satisfy our bunch of picky palates. Tom said it was great even though the frosting was softer than a typical carrot cake. Justus kept coming back for more!
Here is what I came up with; it starts with a box mix which is something I always have on hand.
Carrot Cake
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 box of vanilla pudding mix
2 c. grated carrots (about 7-8 carrots) (I used my Kitchen-aid grater attachment.)
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 Tbs. lemon juice
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz. brick of cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter (8 Tbs.), softened
Splash of vanilla
2-4 c. powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350. For the cake, mix all ingredients until everything is moist. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
For the frosting, mix together all ingredients starting with the smaller amount of sugar. Give it a taste and see if you want to add more. Once it's to your liking, whip the frosting for a full 5 minutes using an electric stand mixer with a whisk or a regular hand mixer. The frosting should start out thick and stiff and end up light and fluffy.
Once the cake has cooled, frost it and enjoy!
