Carrot Cake

My husband just had a birthday and asked for Carrot Cake to celebrate.   Okay... I have a GREAT recipe that is moist, uses OLIVE OIL and tastes amazing!

CARROT CAKE

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 C olive oil
• 2 C brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 T dark molasses
• 3 C carrots, finely grated
• 2 C flour
• 2 t baking soda
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1 t nutmeg
• 1 t ground cloves
• 1 t salt
• 1 C walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 C raisins
• 1/2 C golden raisins  

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 pkgs. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 - 2 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 2 T half and half (to thin, just in case)

Directions:   Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.   Butter and flour 2 cake pans and set aside.   In large mixing bowl, whisk olive oil and brown sugar together.   Add eggs and molasses and mix well.   Stir in carrots, flour, soda, spices and salt mixing well.  Add nuts and raisins and stir until incorporated.   Spoon into prepared cake pans and bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean and then cool.

In a separate bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter.   Add powdered sugar 1/2 C at a time until the desired sweetness, adding a bit of half and half if necessary to thin.  Frost cooled cake and enjoy!

In the photo below... I actually have 5 layers.   I increased my recipe to an additional 3rd, baked 3 cakes and once cooled, split them.   I didn't use the last half as the cake towered tall (though it was eaten).