Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is one of my faves! It is super yummy and the applesauce in this recipe makes it super moist; dry carrot cake is the worst! Piping on carrots with the cream cheese frosting was the best!

2 3/4 C finely shredded carrot
1 C walnuts, toasted
2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 C sugar
1 C veggie oil
2 tsp extract
1/2 C plain applesauce

8 oz cream cheese
1/4 C butter
2 C confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Toast and grate your carrots. To toast, lay nuts out on a cookie sheet and place in oven for about 7 minutes.

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

Whip the eggs in your Kitchenaid until frothy and add the sugar, 1/2 a cup at a time. After you have a light and fluffy mix and while the mixer is on at a low speed, add the oil, vanilla and applesauce. Mix for about 30 seconds on medium speed. Add the dry ingredients and just mix to incorporate. Add the carrots and the nuts and mix just to incorporate.

Butter two 9" round pans and distribute the batter evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the cake is cooling, you can make the frosting. Whip all ingredients until light and slightly fluffy.

Decorate the cake as desired!!! I did 8 little carrots to mark off pieces. They were Sam-style pieces... aka big :-)