Carrot Cake
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Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 9-inch rounds
 
When unfrosted, the carrot cake bars are just like a muffin or a piece of sweet bread. Frosting the carrot cake simply takes it up a notch to dessert status, either in cupcake or cake form.
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
  • 1 cup vegetable oil {or applesauce}
  • 3 cups sugar
  • ⅔ cups water
  • 2 cups grated carrots
  • 4 eggs
  • 3½ cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
Naturally-Dyed Frosted Carrots
  • Frosting
  • Carrot juice
  • Spinach juice
Instructions
Carrot Cake
  1. Mix all of the ingredients together.
  2. Divide the batter evenly between four 9-inch round cake pans, two greased loaf pans or the equivalent of lined muffin tins.
  3. Bake the cake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes for round cake pans and muffins or up to 1 hour for loaf pans, or until the top springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cream Cheese Frosting
  1. Mix the ingredients to form a creamy frosting.
  2. Frost the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and reserve a small portion of frosting to make the carrot toppers.
  3. Refrigerate any leftover frosting in a sealed container.
Naturally-Dyed Frosted Carrots
  1. Divide the frosting that you saved for the carrots into two small bowls.
  2. Mix a few drops of carrot juice into one bowl, stirring until the liquid is totally mixed in and you have your desired shade of orange.
  3. Mix a few drops of spinach juice into the other bowl, stirring until the liquid is totally mixed in and you have your desired shade of green.
  4. Using icing bags fitted with small tips, pipe the orange carrots and the green stems.
Recipe by Itsy Bitsy Foodies at http://itsybitsyfoodies.com/carrot-cake/