Easier Carrot Cake!

Have you ever googled "easy carrot cake"? Well if not--don't bother. The recipes that come up involve combining mayonnaise and cake mix with shredded carrots. Sick. (no offense if that's the way you make carrot cake!). I don't think there's any such thing as "easy" carrot cake. Which is a darn shame, because it's delicious!

But since I recently entered a phase in which I only want carrot cake (not pregnant... it's just me), I had to find a recipe I could make in a somewhat timely manner that didn't involve skinning my knuckles with a cheese grater (shudder).

What I found is a recipe from All Recipes, called "Best Carrot Cake Ever". With 695 reviewers and an average of 4 1/2 stars, how could I resist? I made some slight modifications based on others' reviews, and I should tell you... it's completely wonderful.

Inspired by blogger Ree Drumond, I'm sharing the recipe with you, photo style :).

Ingredients:
6 cups carrots, "grated" (yes, I do know how to use quotation marks... you'll see)
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup "chopped" walnuts (for cake)
1 cup "chopped" walnuts (for top)

Meet my two favorite kitchen appliances:


the Kitchen Aid Mixer and the Sunbeam Oscar Food Processor

I actually registered for and received a brand new food processor for our wedding, but my mom found a Sunbeam Oscar (like the one I grew up with) at a garage sale, and she let me trade for it!

Anyways, these two appliances are must-haves in order for this to be "easier" carrot cake.

Stick all the carrots from 2 of these 10 oz shredded carrot bags...

into the food processor...

for a few seconds...

And you have "grated" carrots! Easy peasy.

Now mix the brown sugar into the carrots.

Like this:

And let them sit for about 30 minutes
(or 60 minutes if you like it sweeter).

While they are sitting and getting all nice and juicy,
do all the rest of this stuff.

Crack 4 eggs into the mixer.

Beat 'em until they're light and fluffy.

Now slowly add in the white sugar.

And the oil and vanilla.

I buy my vanilla from Mexico when I can.
Or from the man on Hwy 3005... ya know, whatever's closest at the time.

Anyways, add the oil and vanilla.

Now add the pineapple.

It doesn't have to be totally drained,
but get most of the juice out of it so it doesn't make the cake too moist.

Now put all that dry stuff in a bowl together.

I use a cup of wheat flour*, but you can use all white
flour if you want. I think the wheat flour makes it
heartier... and for some reason I like that in this cake.

Now just add all the dry stuff into the wet stuff,

and let the Mixer do the work.

Get that food processor back out and "chop" your walnuts.
I think technically, if you put them in a food processor,
they become "processed" walnuts. But obviously "chopped"
sounds much better and is close enough to the truth.

Anyways, let the food processor at them for a second...
So they look like this!

And now drain the sugary carrots.

And toss them and the walnuts into the mixing
bowl with all the rest of that good stuff.

Now mix it a little more, and pour it into your greased
and floured cake pan.
You can use a couple 9x9 pans or a 9x13 pan.

My MIL gave me this cake pan last weekend, so today is its christening.

This will be a giant carrot cake cupcake!

Bake it at 350 F for 45-50 minutes (mine will take longer in this deep cake pan).

When it's done, let it sit for 10 minutes in the pan,
and then take it out, let it cool some more, and then frost it.

Oh yeah! The frosting!

1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
8 oz cream cheese
1 lb powdered sugar

Stick the butter and cream cheese in the mixer
(after you clean out the cake batter from before)


And gradually add the powdered sugar.

After you've frosted the cake, cover it in more of those chopped nuts.

And voila! Yummy carrot cake!
Enjoy with decaf coffee after dinner.
Or with regular coffee for breakfast!

*A word to the health nuts: this cake is healthy. It is. It's got wheat flour in it. And carrots. And pineapple. And walnuts, too. And the icing just helps you digest all that fiber. So... don't feel guilty about this, guys. It's practically a granola bar.