Aaron's Mom's Carrot Cake

I apologize for the delay in posting this recipe, but I wanted to be sure to share it all with you. From what I have heard, Aaron's mom was a phenomenal cook and an especially awesome baker. Baking is definitely not a strength of mine but for Aaron's 30th birthday I wanted to make him something both delicious and special for him. After sifting through her recipe collecting I found one for carrot cake- which also happens to be on the top of Aaron's favorite list. The cake was very simple to make and extremely moist.


Carrot Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour2 tsp. baking soda2 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. salt3 tsp. ground cinnamon1/2 tsp. nutmeg4 eggs1 1/4 cups oil1 cup granulated white sugar1 cup packed brown sugar2 tsp. vanilla3 cups grated carrots1 cup nuts (pecans or walnuts) optional1 cup raisins (optional)


Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened1/2 cup butter, softened 2 cups confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare two 9” pans or one 12” cake pan or one 9”x 13” sheet pan by lining with parchment or wax paper.
Mix together in a bowl together flour,baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In a bigger bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla for about minute or so.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix for about 2 minutes more.
Add the grated carrots. Then add nuts and raisins if desired.
Pour batter in prepared cake pans and bake for approx. 45 to 50 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer, it should be dry when taken out. Cool then fill and frost with cream cheese frosting. Garnish with more nuts.

To make the cream cheese frosting: a bowl beat together cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add in icing sugar and beat for a minute. Add vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for another minute.