DOROTHY'S CARROT CAKE

Carrot Cake is one of those desserts you will almost always find on menus and buffets. I don't know too many people who do not enjoy eating it. I know people who rationalize that it is healthy for you since it includes carrots. Do you have any friends like that?

Last Thursday we met at Friend Dorothy's house for canasta and guess what she served for dessert? If you guessed - Carrot Cake, you can advance to GO and get $200. 

It was so, so good. She cut the recipe down, but I decided to just give you the full recipe. She didn't want to have so much left to tempt her after we left. It was the perfect break for my group because we got beat so badly. (We did come back and won the revenge game though.)

CARROT CAKE

2         cups sugar
1-1/2   cups oil
4         eggs
2-1/4  cups sifted all-purpose flour
2         teaspoons salt
2         teaspoons soda
2         teaspoons cinnamon
3         cups coarsely-grated raw carrots
1-1/2   cups coarsely-chopped nuts (Dorothy used pecans)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan.

Combine sugar, oil, and eggs; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

Sift dry ingredients together; add to mixture and beat at low speed for 1 minute.

Add grated carrots and nuts.

Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake about 1 hour, until cake tests done with a toothpick.

When cool, spread with Cream Cheese Frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1          package (8 - ounces) cream cheese
1/4      cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
2         teaspoons vanilla
1          package (1 pound) confectioners sugar (sift if lumpy)

Let cream cheese and butter warm to room temperature.

Beat together til smooth and add the vanilla.

Gradually add the powdered sugar.

Add more sugar to thicken or milk to thin frosting if needed for good spreading consistency.

Thank you, Dorothy, for treating us so deliciously and for sharing the recipe with me to share with my readers.