Carrot Cake Craving

I have been fasting for the past 2 days and as usual, when I fast, I get cravings.

I was hankering for some home made carrot cake. No choice - had to make them and it was my first time making one of these.

I have to say the cake turned out really wonderful - although not as thick as I would like it to be. But this is good because we normally end up giving away our 'thick' cakes anyway - because they last for too long otherwise.

The cheese frosting is a little runny. But this is because I had not much icing sugar left and had to use whatever that was available. But it tastes wonderful - more sweet cheese than cheesy sweet, if you know what I mean.

My mother would be proud of me if she tasted this cake.

Wish I could email her a slice.

Added (5/3/07)
I used 2/3 of each ingredient in the recipe below because this recipe is for a 9x13 inch baking tin. But I think it would be fine if you use a 9" tin and also fill a muffin tray to make some carrot cupcakes as well to give away to your in laws or something :)

I used a grater that's not too fine so I just chopped my grated carrots a little bit more to reduce the size of the carrot bits. And then I put them in a sieve and pressed down a little bit to reduce the juice - but I included about 2 Tbs of this juice back inside the cake mixture later.

In the brackets is the amount I used for the cake above.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs (3)
  
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (3/4 and a bit more)
  
• 1 cup white sugar + 1 cup brown sugar (2/3 each)
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (1 and 1/4)
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (1 and 1/3)
  
• 2 teaspoons baking soda (1 and 1/4)
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (1 and 1/4)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (1/4)
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (1-1/4)
  
• 3 cups grated carrots (2)
  
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (2/3)
  

• 1/2 cup butter, softened (1/3)
  
• 225g cream cheese, softened (150g)
  
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar (2.5)
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (3/4)
  
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional) (2/3)
  

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in nuts. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped nuts. Frost the cooled cake.