Carrot Cake

I absolutely love carrot cake! I think its the combination of spicy moist cake and the yummy, sugary, cream cheesy frosting. It is so good! I don't make it really often, but was having a hankering for carrot cake this last week. I was home one day from work because of the weather so I whipped up a batch. I actually used carrots from my garden that have kept fresh and crisp in my fridge since October if you can believe it. It's pretty amazing to me too! Give this simple recipe a try, you will not be disappointed.

Carrot Cake From Taste of Home Delicious Desserts Cookbook
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup canola oil and it turned out great)
3 eggs
1 1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrot
Frosting: 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat sugar and oil. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir into egg mixture. Beat in vanilla. Stir in carrots. Spread into a 9" or 8" square baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. For frosting, in a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Frost cake, store in refrigerator.

Grated Apple Cake

It's almost fall!!! That means that it is once again apple time. Shortly after we moved into our house 2 years ago, we planted an apple tree. Since then, we've also added 3 more apple trees, 3 pear trees, apricot and mulberry trees as well as a few raspberry bushes. We were fortunate to get about a dozen apples from the first tree we planted and they were delicious! I made this apple cake one night for dessert and we enjoyed it for breakfast the rest of the week :) It was even better knowing that the apples were grown by us in our backyard.

Grated Apple Cake From Country Cookin'

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 cup sour milk (milk with a tsp or so of lemon juice added)
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups shredded raw apples, peeled
1/2 cup nuts
Topping: 3/4 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup chopped nuts

Cream sugars and shortening. Add beaten egg, sour milk and soda. Sift flour, salt and baking powder and add to the mixture. Next add the apples and nuts. Pour into greased pan and sprinkle with the brown sugar and nut topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes in a 9x13" pan.