Carrot Cake

I didn't used to be a big of a fan of carrot cake. Then I got O a delicious carrot cake for his birthday and I've been sold ever since. Which lead to me coming up with this recipe, which, much like others I've written, is an amalgam of several recipes I've found.

Carrot Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I prefer kosher)
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 3  4 ounce jars of carrot baby food
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 applesauce
• 8 ounces crushed pineapple
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup raisins (I prefer golden raisins)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour cake pan.

Put raisins in a bowl of warm water.

Grate carrots (or throw them in a food processor, if you have one), combine with sugar.

Beats eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla extract, almond extract, and baby food.

Mix in carrots and sugar.

Mix in flour, soda, powder, cinnamon, nutmeg.

Drain pineapple and raisins. Fold in pineapple, raisins, and pecans.

Pour into cake pan.

Bake 40-50 minutes.

Let cool 10 minutes, turn out on wire rack, let cool completely.

Icing

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Beat butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth.

Frost cake.

Sprinkle with nuts.

And enjoy carrot cake. Mmmm, carrot cake. I love me some carrot cake.