I went to make a Carrot Cake this morning and do you think I could find my faded, tattered recipe in the recipe box? NO! So the search began: Did I tuck it into a cookbook? Is it by my computer in the stack of “To Be Entered” recipes? Did a search on my site, plus a search on my old site to no avail. Now I am pulling my hair out because Carrot Cake is one of the family favourites and we are celebrating three birthdays this weekend! Dejected I went down to the kitchen prepared to pull out my Better Crocker cookbook (though I suspect Carrot Cake is missing from there too as I think I tore it out and gave it to someone O.o) and lo and behold! Seems I made a Carrot Cake not too long ago because the tattered old recipe card was just chillin’ in the recipe holder my oldest daughter made for me a gazillion years ago!
Catastrophe averted but I think I am going to enter that recipe right NOW so I don’t have to go through this again!

4 Eggs, well beaten
2 cups Sugar
1 1/2 cups Vegetable Oil
2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
Pinch of Nutmeg
Pinch of Cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
3 cups Carrots, raw, grated
1 cup Raisins (optional)
1 cup Walnuts, chopped (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup soft butter
4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1 1/2 – 2 cups Icing Sugar, to right consistency
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly spray a 9X13 (4l pan) with vegetable oil spray and line bottom only with baking paper.

Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves together in a mixing bowl.
In large mixing bowl beat egg and sugar on low speed until combined then increase speed to medium and beat for a couple of minutes until smooth and foamy.
Stir in dry ingredients on low speed until all flour is incorporated then increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
On low speed, stir in grated carrots, vanilla and, if using, raisins and chopped walnuts.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in 350F oven for 30 – 40 minutes, until golden and a pick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let sit, in pan, on cooling rack for 10 minutes.
Turn out onto wire rack, peel off baking paper and cool completely.

While cake is cooling prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese and butter; beat on medium speed until smooth.
Stir in icing sugar a cup at a time, adding vanilla and lemon juice after the first addition, then adding enough icing sugar to preferred consistency.

Frost Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting when cake is completely cooled.

*I split my cake in two, add a layer of custard or icing in the middle the frost all over and add a piped border.