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bell' alimento

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Old Fashioned Carrot Cake

By Paula |

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Old Fashioned Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake on cake stand. Serving piece to right.

I did a little cake thing. Ain’t she purty. I plan on making this beauty for Thanksgiving this year. For once, I’m actually planning ahead. Soley because I’m hosting dinner this year. I’m half excited, half petrified. Thanksgiving is all about family, friends and delicious food. Luckily, the food blogging community that I’m proud to a part of is all about these things as well. To celebrate the holiday, Meghan from Cake ‘n Knife and Susannah from Feast + West are hosting Blogsgiving Dinner. There are more than 20 blogs sharing recipes today!

The idea is based on an old-fashioned potluck dinner party. Each blogger is bringing one or more dishes to the party  (I called cake) so be sure to stop by each one and get some ideas for your own Thanksgiving meal. We’ll be posting to social media with the hashtag #blogsgivingdinner, but you can see the entire menu at the bottom of my post in our recipe roundup.

 Old Fashioned Carrot Cake on cake stand. Serving piece to side.

Carrot Cake is one of my favorite desserts for both Easter and Thanksgiving. Not the kind that comes in a box without any actual carrots in them. It is carrot cake after all so it should have actual carrots in it. I’m completely biased but my Mom made the best carrot cake around. This will be my first Thanksgiving without her.

This year has been filled with so many firsts without her. It hasn’t gotten any easier, not by a long shot, but making her recipes helps me to keep her close, so that’s what I’ll keep doing. Just like she taught me. There will just be a lot of tears while I’m doing it.

carrot cake with cream cheese frosting on green cake standHow To Make Carrot Cake.

The cake starts with grated carrots. I wasn’t allowed to use a food processor growing up, it was the sharp as all get out box grater that I was given, go figure. The kind that you have to be careful of your fingers with. But it grates like a champ. I mix the ingredients all by hand (well by spatula) just because it was the way I was taught.

It ends with homemade CREAM CHEESE FROSTING and a good heavy handed drizzle of WHISKEY CARAMEL SAUCE. Because I can’t leave well enough alone and I have to tweak it just a bit.

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake on cake stand.

Now that you’ve got dessert take a look at the rest of the dishes for some inspiration:

Ginger Pumpkin Beer Shandy by Feast + West

glühwein/mulled wine by Tag & Tibby

White Chocolate Pumpkin Martini by The Culinary Compass

Apple Ginger Punch by The Little Epicurean

Cheesy brussels sprouts dip by Living Well Kitchen

Sun Dried Tomato & Goat Cheese Spread by Life’s Ambrosia

Cranberry Goat Cheese Tarts by Cake ‘n Knife

Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Ginger Soup by The Secret Ingredient Is

Brussels Sprout Salad with Farro and Walnuts by Sugar Dish Me

Sheet Pan Carrot Soup by Macheesmo

Kale + butternut squash mac and cheese by Family Food on the Table

Twice Baked Parmesan Butternut Squash by A Mind Full Mom

Twice The Onion Green Bean Casserole by Melanie Makes

Lightened Up Green Bean Casserole by Dash of Herbs

Easy Corn Casserole by Love Bakes Good Cakes

Cranberry Honey Butter by Little Dairy on the Prairie

Butternut Squash Lasagna by Hello Little Home

Beer-Brined Stuffed Turkey Loin by Beer Girl Cooks

Roasted Mushroom Pot Pie by The Cookie Writer

Chocolate Pumpkin Fudge by Around My Family Table

Praline Pumpkin Upside Down Cake by The Speckled Palate

Roasted Banana Pecan Cheesecake by Lady Behind The Curtain

Chai-Spiced Apple Crumble Blondies by The Crumby Cupcake

Pecan Pie Crumble Bars by A Joyfully Mad Kitchen

Pecan Pie Milkshake by Brunch-n-Bites

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake on cake stand. Serving piece to side.

Old Fashioned Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup butter - room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
  • 3 cups grated carrots
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
  • WHISKEY CARAMEL SAUCE
  • Carrots with tops for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Grease and lightly flour 2 - 9" cake pans. Set aside.
  3. Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  4. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.
  5. Add oil; beat until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended.
  6. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
  7. Stir in vanilla; fold in carrots and nuts. Spoon batter into greased pans.
  8. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
  9. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely.
  10. Spread Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.
  11. Top with carrot tops and garnish rim with carrot leaves.
  12. Drizzle top with whiskey caramel sauce prior to serving.

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© Paula Jones
Cuisine: American / Category: Desserts


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