Friday Night baking!

Friday night my friend Amy and I decided that we needed to bake.  She asked if I had any suggestions, and I recommended Nina’s carrotcake cupcakes.  We wanted something that would make the place smell like fall without using pumpkin (at least this time) and we definitely got it!

I didn’t take as many photos as I had intended, we were just having too much fun.  Just a few things that you might want to know as a preface: I had no idea how much 6 cups of carrots seems to be, oh my goodness!  Also, cream cheese frosting is tons easier than I would have ever imagined to make.

Best Ever Carrot Cake

6 cups grated carrots
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a medium bowl, combine grated carrots and brown sugar. Set aside for 60 minutes, then stir in raisins. I omitted this step too.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 10 inch cake pans (or muffin cups).
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Gradually beat in the white sugar, oil and vanilla (and the brown sugar). Stir in the pineapple. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, stir into the wet mixture until absorbed. Finally stir in the carrot mixture and the walnuts and raisins. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until cake tests done with a toothpick.

For our cupcakes 30 minutes seemed to be the magical time in the oven.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. When completely cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Both Amy and I thought these were great!  We had such a blast decorating them too.  My husband wasn’t originally a fan, but then he had a second one, and I don’t know what it was, but now he is hooked!