Sometimes it surprises me that I have a food blog. But not because of the reasons you think.  The thing is, I am a people pleaser to a fault. I’ve always said I couldn’t be a hairdresser because I’m too worried that people wouldn’t like their hair. BUT recipes are the same way. Everyone has different taste buds and some things people either love or hate.

Sometimes I make a recipe that I’ve made a zillion times and it doesn’t turn out. There are so many variables: the butter is too cold, your oven temperature is off, your baking soda is old, you added too much of something. You learn as you go. So I always worry that if it doesn’t turn out for someone else, I feel responsible and I hate that.

But I finally came to the resolution that when it comes down to it, I’m posting recipes that me and my family love. Some people will love them but not everyone will. That’s life.

Carrot Cake for Easter - super moist and perfect! the-girl-who-ate-everything.com
Carrot cake is definitely one of those recipes that will NOT please everyone. Everyone likes it different – nuts or no nuts, pineapple or no pineapple, raisins or no raisins.  And that is why everyone should make it the WAY they like it. I happen to be a pineapple, nuts, no raisins girl.
I have tried my fair share of carrot cake recipes and  Camden emailed me this recipe that she claims is the best so I had to try it. It is supposedly from a famous bakery called Jen’s Place Bakery in Dallas. This carrot cake is super moist, has the texture I love, and the cream cheese frosting is divine. I followed Camden’s tip of using partial whole wheat flour to give it a nuttier flavor but I’m sure it would taste great without it as well. Carrot cake is a great thing to make the day before Easter because it’s almost better the second day.
Carrot Cake for Easter - super moist and perfect! the-girl-who-ate-everything.com
And how bad is it that I took this to a party with a piece of cake already cut out. I had to taste it first!
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Carrot Cake for Easter

Prep Time:
22 hrs 14 mins
Cook Time:
22 hrs 14 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup oil
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 3 eggs , beaten well
  • 2 cups carrots , peeled and grated fine
  • 1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 cups flour (replace one cup with whole wheat flour for a denser, nuttier taste)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 1/2 cup butter , softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 lb 4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix oil, sugar, eggs, carrots, pineapple and vanilla until combined.
  3. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and add slowly to the wet ingredients.
  4. To make a 9x13 cake, pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish for 45 minutes.
  5. To make a 2 layer cake use 2 round pans and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using 2 round pans make sure to really grease or use parchment cut in circles so that your cake comes out clean. Invert cakes into a cooling rack.
  6. When cake has cooled frost with cream cheese frosting.
  7. For the Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and then powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping the bowl often. Frost the carrot cake.

Recipe Notes

Note - If you are using 2 round cake pans you may want to do 1.5x of this frosting recipe. I like a LOT of frosting in the middle and on top.
Source: Camden LeeMaster

Author: Christy Denney