Homemade Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Icing 

This cake turns out unbelievably moist – and when you top it up with white chocolate icing, it will be a real treat for birthdays, special dinner dessert or – just because.

Homemade Carrot Cake with White Chocolate Icing:

2 cups of flour

1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of each cinnamon and allspice or 2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of salt

5-6 medium carrots, peeled

4 eggs

1-1/4 cup of lightly packed brown sugar

1 cup of vegetable oil

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350F. Oil 2 -9 inch round cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir flour with baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt until evenly mixed. Grate carrots (use food processor or box grater) and measure out 3-1/2 cups.

In another bowl, whisk eggs with brown sugar, oil and vanilla. Stir in grated carrots. Make well in the centre of dry ingredients. Add carrot mixture and nuts. Stir together until mixed. Pour batter into pans, dividing equally. Smooth tops.

Bake in the centre of oven, until a cake tester inserted into centre of the cake comes out clean – 25-30 minutes. Then run a knife around edges of cakes. Cool in pan on a rack for about 10 minutes and then turn the cakes out onto the rack and cool.

If you are making these ahead of time, wrap each cake in plastic and keep at room temperature – good for about 3 days. Or you can freeze then, overwrapped with foil for up to 3 months.

White Chocolate icing:

6 oz. of white chocolate, coarsely chopped

2-8 oz. packages of cream cheese, cut into cubes at room temperature

1/4 cup of unsalted butter at room temperature

3 cups of sifted icing sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Place chocolate in a bowl and microwave until almost melted – 1-2 minutes. Stir until smooth and cool. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Beat in icing sugar, then cooled chocolate and vanilla. Refrigerate icing to firm up a little – 15 – 30 minutes. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to one week. Then leave at room temperature until soft enough to spread easily.

To assemble your cake, carefully slice each layer in half horizontally – this cake also looks great if you just leave it at 2 layers – your choice!)

Place one layer on a cake plate. Spread with about a cup of icing. Top with another layer and repeat icing. Continue with remaining layers and icing. Spread leftover icing over sides and top of the cake. You can sprinkle finely chopped nuts over the top or decorate with candy carrots you can find in your local bakery supplies store.

Serve and enjoy and let me know what comments you received for this gem!