Carrot Cake

The last time the boys went for milk, Ryan came back with the biggest sack of carrots he could find, plopped them in front of me, and demanded carrot cake.  Soon.  I complied.

CARROT CAKE

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup egg beaters (or 4 eggs)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups finely shredded carrot (I used 5 big ones)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Put all of the dry ingredients in a bowl, and stir together with a wire whisk: this sifts them together with much less trouble than using the actual sifter.  Add the oil, vanilla and egg beaters (or eggs, if no one in you house counts cholesterol), beat at low speed until combined, and then for about 2 minutes on medium speed, until smooth.  Stir in the walnuts and shredded carrot.  Pour into a greased 9x12 pan (my choice), or two layer pans (traditional).  Bake at 350F 42 to 45 minutes for the sheet cake, or 30 to 35 minutes for the layers.  Frost with cream cheese frosting (8 ounces cream cheese, regular or low fat, 1 pound confectioner's sugar and 2 tsp vanilla extract, beaten until smooth: it is much softer than regular buttercream frosting).

I always prefer making a sheet cake, so I eschewed the traditional carrot cake look, and while Ryan howled that it didn't look right, here's what was left the next morning (which was a snow day):

That's right; the poor cake never even got to have a nice picture taken (not that my hordes often let me take nice pictures of food)!

As to the monster storm threatening the northeast, well, "everyone in school" said today would be a day off, and the teachers even warned the kids to take their books home to study for midterms over the weekend.  There's not a school within 40 miles of me that closed or even delayed.  And the sun looked like it might come out a few minutes ago.  But I have a goodly stock of food, and I even have electricity now, so I'm not afraid.  But I doubt it will be a "monster storm of historic proportions" nonetheless.

Happy weekending, everyone!