Easy Homemade Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

Carrot Cake:

• 2 cups of granulated sugar

• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

• 4 large eggs

• 1 lb package of baby carrots

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp of baking soda

• 1 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Frosting:

• 12 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)

• 2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, room temperature

• 8 cups of powdered sugar, sifted

• 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

Tools/Utensils:

• Two 9” cake pans

• Large and medium mixing bowls

• Whisk

• Measuring cups

• Measuring spoons

• Sifter or mesh strainer

• Blender (or NutriBullet or food processor)

• Mixing spoon

• Large serving plate

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees then grease the bottom of two 9" cake pans with butter. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, oil, and eggs together until completely blended then set aside.

3. Add the carrots to a blender (I used my NutriBullet) and pulse until the carrots are very finely chopped and resemble the texture of wet sand. Then, add them to the sugar, oil, and egg mixture, stirring to combine.

4. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon on top of the wet ingredients and carefully mix the wet and dry ingredients until completely blended.

5. Divide the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans and bake 45−50 minutes—the cakes will be firm in the center and just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. I actually don’t own two cake pans, so I did each layer one at a time. Takes longer but works just as well.

6. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool them on a rack for about 10-15 minutes.

7. When the cakes have rested but are still quite warm, invert the layers onto a sheet of waxed paper. Leave the pan over the cake to cover it and seal in the moisture. Leave the cakes covered until they are completely cooled (at least 2 hours).

8. While the cakes are cooling, get started on the cream cheese frosting. Add the softened butter and cream cheese to a medium-sized mixing bowl and cream together until completely combined and no lumps remain. Then sift in the powdered sugar, stirring until perfectly smooth.

9. Add the vanilla and stir once more to combine. If the frosting’s too thick, add a few drops of milk until the consistency’s correct. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature until you are ready to frost the cake.

10. When the cakes are cool and the frosting has been made, remove the pans to uncover the cakes. Place the first layer on a serving plate and evenly coat the top of the cake with a thick layer of frosting. Place the next layer upside down on top of first layer and press gently but firmly into place. Coat the top and all sides of the cake evenly with the remainder of the frosting. Note: if the cakes are not cooled enough, this will be a much messier process, so be absolutely sure they are cool!

11. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve then slice into big wedges and enjoy!

*original recipe found at everydaydishes.com