Carrot Cake for My Birthday

I love cake.  It's one of my favorite desserts...so when my birthday comes around, I let myself enjoy the moment and eat cake!  The hubby and I were trying to decide what type of cake to make and I was actually getting ready to make my Black Magic cake from a few weeks ago when I suddenly had an urge to make carrot cake.  Did a quick look through the kitchen and checked off ingredients and set to work.

I used a Betty Crocker recipe, but I made some changes.  I cut the sugar down to 1 cup from 1 1/2 cups and I cut the oil to 1/2 oil, 1/2 applesauce.  True perfection!



It's such an easy recipe too!   Besides the shredding of the 3 cups of carrots (hubby's job - aren't I lucky?)  the rest of it came together super easy!

Here's my recipe

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1 t baking soda

1 t vanilla

1/2 t salt

1/4 t ground nutmeg

3 cups shredded carrots

1 cup chopped nuts - I used walnuts

Preheat oven to 350, grease and flour 2 - 8" cake pans.  Mix sugar, oil, applesauce and eggs until blended.  Stir in remaining ingredients and beat for about 2 min on medium.  Fold in carrots and nuts.  Pour into pan.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  You can either serve as is or cool and add a cream cheese frosting.  (Which totally makes the carrot cake, so I'm not sure why you'd skip it!)

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 T milk

1 t vanilla

8 oz softened cream cheese

Beat with wire whisk on high until fluffy.  Spread on cooled cake.