Carrot Cake

Apparently there was a recent sale on carrots, because my mom and I both home came with a bunch of carrots. I've always had a soft spot for carrot cake, but always found them to be too sweet or too moist!  This recipe was my first attempt, but I am already in love with it, because it doesn't require me to purchase anything I didn't already have in my pantry. 

Carrot Cake

ingredients | cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans

ingredients | frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cake.