Carrot Cake with Carrots

Despite having a huge collection of cookbooks, I still enjoy browsing through recipes and noting down the ones I would like to try.  Sometimes I write the recipes down in a notebook.  Other times I send them out as a message or email to myself or my family.  One of those recipes I copied down in a notebook was for carrot cake because I know that GI loves carrot cake.

On my first attempt at the particular carrot cake recipe, I decided to try 1/3 of the recipe.  It seemed like a reasonable way to test the recipe because it called for 3 cups of carrots and 3 eggs.  I figured I could do the test run in the air fryer using a small baking tin.  If it tasted good, I would do the full blown 3-tiered recipe with icing and all.  

The original recipe had the carrots as the first ingredient so I grated the carrots and set it aside.  I went though the rest of the cake recipe, ending with folding in the crushed pineapples. Well, I thought I had gone through the rest of the recipe up until I started to clear up the counter. Right after I turned the airfryer on to start baking the cake, I found the grated carrots sitting on the kitchen counter!

Oops!  

I quickly flipped off the airfryer and stirred the carrots into the batter.  I then proceeded to start baking the carrot cake.  

We had the cake the next day and it got everyone's seal of approval.  So this weekend,  we made the whole recipe, complete with icing and walnuts (and carrots, of course).

Carrot Cake (by Tasty)

2 1/2 c    flour
2 t           cinnamon
1/4 t        all spice
1 t           salt
1 t           baking powder
1/2 t        baking soda
1 c          brown sugar
1/2 c       white sugar
3             eggs
1 c          vegetable oil
1 c          raisins mixed with 1 T flour
3 c          carrots, grated
1 c          crushed pineapples


Icing 

1 c butter, at room temperature
12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 c powdered sugar
2 c crushed walnuts

1. Sift flour, cinnamon, all spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl.
2. In a second bowl, mix together the brown sugar, white sugar and eggs then add oil slowly until just combined.
3. Add flour 1/3 at a time into the 2nd bowl until it reaches peanut butter consistency.  (Do not overmix!) 
4. Add the floured raisins then fold in the grated carrots and crushed pineapples.
5. Pour onto 3 x 8" round cake pans.  Smooth out the tops.
6. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 20 minutes. (If using 2 x 9" pans, bake for 25 to 30 minutes.)
7. For the icing, 
• mix together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla
• add sugar 1/2 c at a time
8. Once the cake has cooled, 
• place one of the cakes on the serving dish then spread 1/4 of the icing on top
• place 2nd cake on top and spread another 1/4 of the icing
• place the 3rd cake on top then place icing on the top and sides of the cake 
• Sprinkle crushed walnuts on the sides (or on top) of the cake
9. Chill the cake for an hour before serving.