Best Ever Carrot Cake

Are you looking for the perfect cake?  Literally perfect.  Without flaws.  Amazing.  Tender.  Moist.  Heavenly. Flavorful.  Sweet.  Fluffy and dense all at once.  Healthy(ish =).  Wowing.  Decadent.  Stunning.  Pleases young and old alike.  Then here it is!  I love this cake!  And I can brag it up like that because it’s not my recipe, if it were my own then it would be a bit tacky to brag so much.  I’ve been making this cake for years and have no desire to find a new carrot cake recipe, ever.  This carrot cake turns carrot cake haters into carrot cake lovers.  Believe it or not I didn’t used to like carrot cake and now because of this cake, it is my favorite!  You have to try this cake.  Thank you allrecipes.com for another incredible recipe!

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Best Ever Carrot Cake

Serving Size: 12 Servings

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 2 cups (13.8 oz) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3 cups (12.3 oz) lightly packed finely grated carrots**
• 1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 9" round cake pans with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on two side. Grease foil and dust with flour, set aside. (This cake can also be made in a 9x13 dish just increase baking time to 40 - 50 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, I have even halved the recipe and baked it in and 8x8 dish).
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, combine vegetable oil, applesauce, eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla. Slowly stir in dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Stir in grated carrots. Divide mixture evenly into 2 prepared cake pans. Bake cakes in preheat oven for 35-39 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes in cake dishes before removing to a wire rack to cool. Lift cakes out of pan with foil overhang and allow to cool on wire rack completely before frosting (once cool I cut about 1/4" off the tops to even them out before frosting, you'll notice the centers don't rise as high as the rest). Flip cakes upside down when frosting with Cream Cheese Frosting. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Store cake in airtight container.
• *Recipe originally 2 tsp baking soda, I made it again today (4/5/15) and reduced to 1 tsp and it came out more level.
• **Grate carrots on small grate of a grater. This is usually 6-7 medium carrots.
Cream Cheese Frosting
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whip together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in powdered sugar and mix until well combine.
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• Recipe adapted slightly from allrecipes.com
• Source: cookingclassy.com
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