Carrot Cake!!!!!!

I made my very first ever from scratch homemade cake at 7,500 feet above sea level today. I have made many homemade cakes before, but that was back home in Savannah, which is practically 2 feet below sea level.

After many dismal failures (including box mixes) I have finally made a cake from scratch that turned out decent. No- better than decent. I think this is the best cake I've ever made. No joke.

It all started when my fried Emmy posted on her blog about receiving as a gift from her hubby, a copy of "The Joy of Cooking." By the way, you should go read her blog. She is nauseatingly multi-talented. She cooks and knits beautifully, as well as a bunch of other stuff I learn about every freakin' time I read her blog. So go over to her blog right now.

Anyhoo...she read the high altitude instructions and cranked out a beautiful red velvet cake that made me drool. After reading that, I decided it was time to stop being a wuss about baking at high altitude and try again.

So after the breakfast dishes were cleared, I got out my pencil and my parchment paper and my baking pans and set to it.



After oiling and flouring the pans, then putting in the parchment circles, I began the batter.

I decided to use a carrot cake recipe from my home church's cookbook. It is Carrot Cake by Mrs. Ikey Robinson. Here's the recipe (with the changes for high altitude).

Miss Ikey's Carrot Cake

1 3/4 cup sugar, minus 3 tablespoons
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus 4 tablespoons
5 unbeaten eggs (original recipe called for 4)
2 cups all purpose flour plus 4 tablespoons
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cup grated carrots (hand grated- Mom says it makes a difference)
1/2 cup pecans

Blend sugar and oil until creamy. Add eggs (one at a time- but don't over beat them) and cream well. Sift flour, soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon; add to first mixture. Fold in vanilla, carrots and nuts.

Pour into 3 prepared 8 inch round baking pans and bake at 375 (original recipe said 350) for 30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 ounces powdered sugar
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream all ingredients together.

Here are the cakes all done and cooling...waiting for their hot date with the Cream Cheese Frosting...



And here is the cake after I finished it. I can't believe how well it turned out.



Here's a top view...



And here's what it looked like after we dug in...



Maybe next I'll try my hand at the red velvet..... who knows??