Carrot Cake Extraordinaire

Years ago I read about a woman’s secret to the best carrot cake was using puréed carrot baby food in her cake. I liked the idea of purée, but was a little yucked out about the baby food part of it. I went so far as to look at baby food jars in the store and was shocked at the price. To get a cup and a half of carrot purée would cost me four dollars, but I only needed 80¢ worth of carrots to get the same.

So I decided I would make my own chunky carrot purée that would be a cross between baby food and raw carrots. It made a superior cake

1 1/2 cups of mashed cooked carrots – recipe below

3 cups of flour

2 1/2 cups of sugar

1 1/2 t. Salt

1 T. baking soda

1 1/2 T cinnamon

1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil

4 jumbo or 5 regular eggs

1 T. Vanilla

1 cup crushed pineapple – lightly drained

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups of shredded coconut

Take about four peeled carrots and place them in a sauce pan with 1 T. Or sugar and 1 t. Salt and enough water to cover them. Cover the pot and put on medium heat and cook gently until the carrots are soft. Drain the water and using a potato masher, smash up the carrots.

Preheat the oven to 350° and prep two 9” cake pans.

In a big bowl mix the dry ingredients. In a big measuring cup, beat the eggs and add the oil and the vanilla and then pour into the dry and mix together. It will be stiff.

Fold in the carrot mash, pineapple, coconut and pecans.

Divide between the cake pans. Place on middle rack and bake for 40-45 mins. Until the middle is not jiggly.

Set on cooling rack and then chill the cake layer for a few hours.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

12 Oz. Of cream cheese at room temp

8 oz. Of softened butter

4 cups of powdered sugar

2 T. Lemon juice

In a stand mixer cream the butter add and cream cheese together. Add the powdered sugar in thirds beating between additions. Add the lemon juice and beat until combined.

Chill the frosting for half an hour.

Frost the cake. I made little carrots with marzipan and gel food coloring.